Itte Detenamo of Nauru did everything right this year to be the leading contender for the men's 105+kg gold medal at the Commonwealth Games weightlifting competition.
But Damon Kelly of Australia proved the best when it mattered most, to take the gold medal with a total lift of 397 here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex on Monday.
The final day of the weightlifting event provided enough thrill to the Oceania battle between the two.
India's Sarabjit, who was in contention for a medal till the end of the snatch event, was the first of the four to go out, failing to lift 210 kg twice and 211 in his final attempt.
He did not finish the competition. The Indian lifted 169 kg in snatch.
When Detenamo came in to clean and jerk 218, a Games record, the year's leading lifter failed twice, leaving a question mark whether he would be able to finish the contest. Meanwhile, Canadian George Kobaladze cleared 218 in his final attempt to improve on Kelly's record of 217.
The Nauruan managed to clear 218 in his final attempt to take the total to 397, another Games record.
Good support
Kelly, silver medallist at Melbourne, needed to lift 221 to equal Detenamo's total of 397. With good support from the crowd, the 27-year-old made a good lift of it to not only equal Detenamo's total of 397 but to annex the gold medal on lesser body weight.
This was Australia's second gold medal of this event. Nauru won its first silver.
Kobaladze with 386 took the bronze medal, second for Canada. Kelly season's best was 390. But Detenamo, bronze medallist in 2006, came into the Games with the best of 397. The Aussie not only pushed himself to new frontier, but made the overwhelming favourite eat the humble pie.
Australia's second entry, Corron Hocking, Games snatch record holder, pulled out owing to injury. His presence would have made the competition keener.
India was awarded the Trafalgar Trophy for garnering maximum points.
