Asiad: Lifters disappointing run comes to an end

India ended their miserable campaign in the weightlifting competition with Geeta Rani and Sarabjit Singh coming a cropper in the women's +75kg and men's +105kg events in the Asian Games in Guangzhou on Friday.

Geeta produced a below-par performance as she lifted 227kg (95+132) to finish last among six lifters in her weight category. She had lifted 235kg (100+135) in last month's Commonwealth Games in which she had finished fourth.

South Korea's Jang Mi Ran and China's Meng Suping were tied at 311kg but the former won gold by virtue of her lesser body weight on the final day of weightlifting competitions.

Jang lifted 130kg in snatch and 181kg in clean and jerk while Meng had 135kg and 176kg. Kazakhstan's Mariya Grabovetskaya won the bronze with a total lift of 290 (135+155).

Meng had won silver in the World Championships in September while Jang bagged bronze in that event.

In men's +105kg category also, India's Sarabjit Singh brought up the rear finishing 10th out of 11 lifters in the fray.

National record holder Sarabjit had a total lift of 340kg (160+180), 100 kilograms less than the gold winner and world champion Iranian Behdadof Salimikordasiabi who had an effort of 440kg (205+235).

Sarabjit's effort was more than 30kg less than his national record of 372kg.

Jeon Sangguen of South Korea won the silver with an effort of 428kg (190+238) while another Iranian Sajjad Anoushirvanihamlabad won the bronze with a lift of 427kg (195+232).