Transcript
Things weren't looking good for Steven Kari as Canada's Boady Santavy set a new Games record in the snatch, leaving the defending champion 14kg adrift after he missed his final two attempts.
"Not a good moment, just not good, not right today. [I] just fall a little bit and I jump back a little bit instead of really pulling it and finishing the pull and catching it front so I messed it up on the snatch, clean and jerk I had to give everything else."
The 24 year old won gold in Glasgow four years ago but did not complete at the Rio Olympics, returning to the sport in 2017 after more than two years away.
After his Canadian rival lifted 201kg in the clean and jerk, Kari was left needing to break the Games and Commonwealth records.
216kg was placed on the bar and the man himself insists it was never in doubt.
"I believe anything that my coach gives me to win gold, that's what my belief is. It doesn't matter that (I have to lift) 216-217kg but I want to win gold, to lift to win the gold."
With a gold medal and new Games and Commonwealth records in the bag, Kari erupted with joy, running around the stage and delighting the packed crowd.
His triumph also secured a 100th Commonwealth Games medal for his coach, Paul Coffa from the Oceania Weightlifting Institute, with whom he shared an emotional embrace.
"He's just like a son to me. Actually, in fact, he is a son. He stayed with us for 10 years and he wanted this medal at all cost. No one was going to take it away. We needed 216kg - if it was 220kg he would have gone for 220kg. You know the eye of the tiger? The way he came out no one was going to stop him and he did it."
Steven Kari insists he won't be going off the grid this time, with another Commonwealth Champs to prepare for later this year, the Pacific Games in 2019 and some unfinished business at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
