Kari breaks record on way to winning gold

WEIGHTLIFTER Steven Kari became Papua New Guinea’s only dual Commonwealth Games Gold medallist with what was a record-breaking performance in the men’s 94kg event yesterday.
The multi-Pacific Games gold medallist and Olympian was at his absolute best as he attacked his last clean and jerk lift to win gold at the Carrara Sports Arena.
After missing two lifts in his snatch and falling behind his main rival for the gold medal, Canada’s Boady Santavy, who had earlier broke the Commonwealth Games snatch record, Kari needed a massive 216kg lift in his clean and jerk to overtake the Canadian who was ahead by 13kg.
Kari’s total was 370kg, one kilogram ahead of Santavy, who lifted a total of 369kg. In third place was Indian lifter Vikas Thakur with a total of 351kg.
The winning lift not only saw Kari win gold but also saw him break the Commonwealth Games clean and jerk record and the Commonwealth weightlifting clean and jerk record.
As he lifted the bar over his head, the full crowd in the arena including a small but vocal contingent of Papua New Guineans from Kari’s home village of Hanuabada and the Governor General Sir Bob Dadae erupted as Kari with a mix of jubilation, relief and pure enjoyment celebrated on stage by throwing his belt into the crowd.
He then ran over to his long-time coach Paul Coffa and training partner David Katoatau to celebrate the magical moment. The Papua New Guinean fans and everyone else in the crowd knew they had just witnessed an amazing feat from the 24-year-old who has cemented his place as one of PNG’s true sporting champions.
Kari has spent the last year at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia after going back to full time training and dedicating his time to achieving success at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The intense seven-days-a-week training regime at the institute together with the other five PNG lifters competing at the Gold Coast Games and the best weightlifters from around the Pacific, paid off.
As Kari was awarded the gold in the medal ceremony, tears of joy streamed down his face as the PNG national anthem played while the flag was raised. Chef de mission Tamzin Wardley stated that Kari had been incredibly determined going into the competition.
“We are all so incredibly proud of him, he is a wonderful ambassador for our country and his joy at winning was contagious with everyone, not just the large PNG crowd, celebrating the amazing win,” Wardley said.
Kari’s gold medal brings the total medal count for Team PNG at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to three after fellow weightlifters Dika Toua (women’s 53kg) and Morea Baru (men’s 62kg) had won silver medals in their events.
This is the first time Team PNG has won three medals at a Commonwealth Games.