World Jr lifting: Gyaneshwari wins silver, Rithika bronze

Gyaneshwari Yadav clinched the silver medal and compatriot V Rithika finished third to give India a double podium finish in the women's 49kg category at the IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Heraklion, Greece, on Monday night.

Chattisgarh lifter Gyaneshwari produced a total effort of 156kg (73kg+83kg) to take second place while 18-year-old Rithika lifted six kg less -- 150kg (69kg+81kg) -- to bag the bronze medal in a depleted 10-lifter field.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and strong favourite Windy Cantika Aisah of Indonesia was crowned the champion in the category after a total effort of 185kg (83kg+102kg).

The gulf between the Indonesian lifter, who won the Asian and World junior titles last year, and the 19-year-old Gyaneshwari was a whopping 29kg. Aisah declined her final attempt.

Powerhouses China, North Korea and Thailand skipped the meet.

The junior World record for the category is 206kg (92kg+114kg), in the name of China's Jiang Huihua.

It is the same weight division in which Mirabai Chanu won a silver at the Tokyo Olympics, with an effort off 202kg (87kg+115kg).

Chanu holds the senior clean and jerk World record in the category. She lifted 119 kg at the Asian Championships last year to achieve the feat.

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Hou Zhihui holds the records for snatch (96kg) and total weight lifted (213kg).

The podium finishes take India's medal haul to three in the ongoing event.

Earlier on Monday, Harshada Sharad Garud became the country's first weightlifter to win a gold medal at the world event.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus are banned from competing in IWF events.

Russia had won the most medals (9) in the last edition.

China, Romania and Bulgaria have also given the tournament a miss for a variety of reasons.