Indian weightlifting star Mirabhai Chanu was aiming for a second consecutive Olympic medal in the women’s 49kg class, but narrowly missed out on a heartbreaking fourth place at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday. Despite a valiant effort and a total lift of 199kg, Chanu missed out on a podium finish in a tight competition on her 30th birthday.
Shanu’s journey to Paris, suffering from injuries
Chanu’s journey to the Paris Olympics has been marked by a series of challenges, including a recurring hip tendon injury that kept him out of the 2023 Asian Games. The setbacks have forced the 30-year-old weightlifter from Manipur to visit Dr. Aaron Horschig, a strength and conditioning specialist in St. Louis, USA, to address muscle imbalances and regain form.
Despite the obstacles, Chanu is determined to replicate her success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she won silver with a total lift of 202kg. But the competition in Paris was fiercer, with several lifters able to break the 200kg mark.
Fierce competition in Paris
Chanu’s total lift of 199kg was impressive, but not enough to win a medal in a competition with 12 women. Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao took bronze with a total of 200kg, while the other top contenders were Jourdan Delacruz of the United States, Valentina Cambei of Romania and Hou Zhihui of China.
Chanu’s personal best of 201kg achieved at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games was not enough to challenge for the elite in Paris. The Indian weightlifter has an Olympic entry weight of 200kg, but her best of 199kg (88kg snatch, 111kg clean and jerk) is just shy of a podium finish.
Chanu’s brave efforts and missed opportunities
Despite the disappointment, Chanu’s performance in Paris showed her resilience and determination. She lifted 88kg in the snatch, equaling her personal best and matching the national record. In the clean and jerk, Chanu attempted to lift 111kg, which would have been a new personal best, but she just barely missed the lift.
The Indian weightlifter won bronze in the clean and jerk with 114kg, but was unable to lift a total of 199kg, finishing fourth. Chanwoo’s missed opportunities and the narrow margin between success and failure highlighted the fierce competition at the highest level of weightlifting.
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