Indian Weightlifting At Paris Olympics 2024: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu Falls 1kg Short Of Glory

Paris Olympics 2024 has been a narrative of ‘so close to but to this level’ for so many Indian athletes. From mixed crew archery to Arjun Babuta in taking footage to Lakshya Sen in badminton. Indian weightlifting hopes had been not anyone-of-a-edition as Tokyo Olympics 2021 silver medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu came to within touching distance of a bronze medal at Paris previously than falling shot.

Mirabai Chanu can have replicated PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar previously than her and Neeraj Chopra by prevailing to come back-to-to come back Olympic medals in successive Video games. Within the weightlifting 49kg classification, Mirabai Chanu fell simply 1kg within the to come back of the eventual bronze medallist.

A lot grew to end as much as be anticipated of Mirabai, who had ended India’s 21-12 months-wait to win a weightlifting medal at the Olympics, after Karnam Malleswari achieved the feat at 2000 Sydney Olympics. On the opposite hand, the Manipur weightlifter stumbled in three of her six lifts – two of them shockingly coming within the ‘tender-and-jerk’ enviornment, considered her helpful level.

Mirabai, a former world champion, had put herself within the 0.33 spot after she nailed a national document-equalling 88kg snatch lift at the South Paris Enviornment best week. As soon as she achieved this, whole of India would had been hoping for a medal from the Indian.

Her ‘tender-and-jerk’ possess best grew to end as much as be 2nd handiest to China’s Hou Zhihui and methodology elevated than Romania’s Mihaela Cambei and Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao and it grew to end as much as be anticipated that she would supply the hazard to lengthy-regular the silver for India but once extra. Mirabai, whose possess best in tender and jerk is 119kg, opted for 114kg on the barbell in her 0.33 and final experiment, which would have fetched her a bronze.

Honoring a true champion! #IndianArmy acknowledged the first-fee achievements of @mirabai_chanu in #Manipur for her stellar regular effectivity within the #ParisOlympics2024. Her dedication & potential continue to inspire the kingdom.@SpokespersonMoD @adgpi @IndianOlympians @MyGovManipur percenttwitter.com/p8pqEjp8yS

— PRO Defence, Manipur, Nagaland & South Arunachal (@prodefkohima) August 12, 2024

Countrywide teach Vijay Sharma has always maintained that a whole of 205kg-206kg grew to end as much as be desired to win gold and that they had been instructing to achieve that. His calculations had been spot on then once extra Chanu’s execution grew to end as much as be not. Her whole effort of 199kg grew to end as much as be only 1 kilogram tons of less than the bronze prevailing Thai lifter’s best effort.

Mirabai blamed her menstural intervals for her failure within the ‘tender-and-jerk’ makes an try out. “I am chuffed with the final effectivity… I tried my best to latest my 100 to latest India a medal. I managed this even with having very little time for remedy after my hurt… nevertheless it positively grew to end as much as be not in future. It grew to end as much as be the 0.33 day of my intervals and in Tokyo it grew to end as much as be my 2nd day, so that also impacts your physique somewhat,” Mirabai told reporters after the final.

If she had lifted her possess best in tender and jerk as smartly, she may smartly had been an Olympic champion and earned India an elusive Gold medal. Mirabai had entered the Tokyo Video games brimming with self assurance after having shattered the sleek and jerk world document then once extra in her best match previous than the Paris Video games, she heaved 184kg (81kg+103kg), her lowest whole in years.

She competed in barely 5 tournaments within the three years between the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Video games. The Physical issues to do Ministry spent Rs 2.seventy 4 crore on her within the Paris Olympic cycle which included sending her to level out under Dr Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-bodily therapist and potential and conditioning teach, within the U. S. in May 2023.

This Olympic cycle grew to end as much as be tormented by accidents for Mirabai Chanu, who turned 30 simply a day after the opponents in Paris. She sustained a wrist hurt for the period of the 2023 World Championships, the condition she nevertheless managed to say a silver medal. Her next look grew to end as much as be at the 2023 Asian Championships, the condition she done fifth.

She then returned to motion at the Asian Video games, handiest to be hampered by hip tendonitis. The stress of lifting twice her physique weight and accidents have taken their toll on the Manipur lifter. It be disappointing that Mirabai is the fullyyt true representative of the activity at the Paris Olympics 2024 and India will hope a new establish to interchange veteran Mirabai soon if they hope to achieve a diverse medal from lifting at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.