Martina Devi shatters 2 senior national records; betters her NR at Junior Weightlifting World Championships

Eighteen-year-old Indian weightlifter Maibam Martina Devi shattered two national records during her exceptional performance at the 2024 Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Leon, Spain. Competing in the women's +87kg category, Marina lifted a total of 237kg, breaking both the clean and jerk record and the total lift record. However, she finished outside the medal standings.

Martina's standout moment came during the clean and jerk event, where she lifted 136kg, surpassing the previous senior national record of 128kg held by Manpreet Kaur from Punjab. This also marked a significant personal achievement for the young athlete. She bettered her junior national record of 123kg by a remarkable 13 kg margin.

Despite her impressive, Martina Devi finished fifth in the clean and jerk segment, with her effort falling just short of the podium.

Her total lift of 237kg also set a new senior national record, surpassing the previous mark of 231kg held by Kerala's Ann Mariya M T. Martina had previously set a junior national record of 218kg in the total lift, meaning she improved her overall performance by an outstanding 19kg. This lifted her to sixth place in the competition, a significant achievement for an 18-year-old competing against some of the best junior weightlifters globally.

Martina also impressed in the snatch event, where she lifted 101kg, improving on her junior national record of 95kg by 6kg. However, she narrowly missed out on breaking the senior national record in this category, which stands at 104kg, held by Purnima Pandey. In a highly competitive field of seven participants, she finished sixth in the snatch event.

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Martina Devi faced strong competition

Despite Martina Devi’s strong showing, the competition was fierce, with Cuba’s Mariflex Sarria Ruiz claiming gold in both the snatch and clean and jerk, lifting a total of 270kg. She was followed by Canada’s Etta Mae Love, who secured silver with a 254kg lift, and Brazil’s Taiane Justino de Lima, who lifted 251kg for bronze.

India sent a contingent of three men and six women to the Junior World Championships, with Martina being one of the standout performers. Dhanush Loganathan was the only Indian to win a medal, securing bronze in the men’s 55kg snatch and total categories.

Martina's record-breaking performance is significant for Indian weightlifting, showcasing her potential as a rising star in the sport.