Shruti Suman
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu finished fourth in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, narrowly missing out on a medal. One of India’s top medal contenders, Mirabai Chanu began with an 85kg lift in the snatch, but her second attempt was declared invalid. In hwe third attempt, She successfully lifted 88kg. In the clean and jerk segment, she started with a failed attempt at 111kg but succeeded in her second attempt before faltering again on her final attempt at 114kg. Mirabai Chanu concluded with a total of 199kg (88kg snatch + 111kg clean and jerk).
China’s Hou Zhihui secured the gold medal with a total lift of 206kg (89kg snatch + 117kg clean and jerk). Romanian Mihaela Cambei won silver with a total of 205kg (93kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk), and Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao claimed bronze with 200kg (88kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk).
Mirabai Chanu, who opened India’s medal tally with a silver on the first day of the Tokyo Olympics, has maintained a low profile since suffering hip tendonitis during the Asian Games last October. Her performance in this Olympic cycle has been hampered by injury and the need to manage her workload.
Her best effort since Tokyo was at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she lifted a total of 201kg (88kg snatch + 113kg clean and jerk). She had previously won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics with a total of 202kg (87kg snatch + 115kg clean and jerk). Chanu has been training in Paris for a month, receiving assistance from American Dr. Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach, who has been working with her since 2020.
Khushi Sikarwar
