Weightlifter Cikamatana claims emotional Glasgow gold after Paris pain

Australian weightlifter Eileen Cikamatana has secured her third Commonwealth Games gold medal, triumphing in the women's 86kg event in Glasgow. The victory comes after significant emotional struggles, including days where she "wanted to give up and be a baby in my mum's arms," following her Paris Olympics disappointment.

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Mission accomplished. I came for one thing, and I got that one thing.

Cikamatana dominated the competition, setting a Games record with a 108kg snatch and a 140kg clean and jerk, totaling 248kg. This performance surpassed England's Madias Ngake, who took silver with 239kg, and Canada's Rose Beaudoin, who claimed bronze with 230kg.

"Mission accomplished. I came for one thing, and I got that one thing," Cikamatana beamed after her win. The 26-year-old's journey has been marked by resilience. She switched allegiance from Fiji to Australia in 2019 due to a dispute with Fiji's weightlifting governing body, allowing her to continue working with coach Paul Coffa. She is now the third female weightlifter in history to achieve three consecutive Commonwealth Games titles, joining India's Mirabai Chanu and Canada's Maude Charron.

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I had days that I just wanted to go back home and be a baby in my mum's arms.

Cikamatana is also the first woman to win Commonwealth Games gold for two different countries in an individual sport, having previously won gold for Fiji in 2018. Despite her success, she remains focused on future goals, aiming for a podium finish at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but first plans to celebrate with cheesecake.

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I had days that I wanted to exit the door, but I'm glad I pulled that left leg back in.

The silver medalist, Madias Ngake, also has a remarkable story. The Cameroon-born English weightlifter was belatedly awarded a bronze medal from the 2012 Olympics after rivals tested positive for drugs, though she never received the medal. Ngake absconded from the Cameroon team during the 2012 London Games, fearing persecution in her birth country due to her sexuality, and lived homeless in London before working as a cleaner.

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The original plan was to finish off after the Paris Olympics, but we (with coach Paul Coffa) didn't get what we wanted.