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In day of firsts, Indonesia lands most Olympic golds since 1992
The two gold medals won by lifter Rizki Juniansyah and speed climber Leonardo Veddriq put Indonesia in 28th place in this year's national medal table.
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Indonesian lifter Rizki Juniansyah reacts after winning the gold medal in the men’s 73 kg weightlifting event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Aug. 8, 2024. (Reuters/Pool/Dita Alangkara)
T
hursday was a golden day for Indonesian sports, with lifter Rizki Juniansyah and speed climber Veddriq Leonardo winning gold medals in their respective events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the fruit, observers say, of the country’s support for typically overlooked sports.
It was the first time Indonesia won two gold medals at an Olympics since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain.
The latest medal was won by Rizki, in his Olympic debut, after he lifted a total of 354 kilograms in the men’s 73 kg event, beating reigning champion Shi Zhiyong of China.
“I’m very grateful to God for making history with the first gold medal in weightlifting [for Indonesia] in the Olympics,” Rizki said in a statement from the Indonesian Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday.
“Thank you. This is for the 79th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day.”
Rizki achieved 155 kg in his snatch, 10 kg behind Shi. But the Chinese lifter failed to complete any of his attempts at 191 kg.
Rizki, on the other hand, managed to lift 199 kg in the clean and jerk, winning him the gold medal, while also setting an Olympic record.
