Paris Olympics 2024: Resilient Mirabai Chanu Sets Sights On Historic Podium Finish

Paris: Far off from the highlight just through an injury-plagued buildup, Mirabai Chanu may be in organize Wednesday when she tries to emerge as India’s first weightlifter to win two Olympic medals alternatively a not basic discipline and lingering well being considerations stand inside the approach wherein.

The lifter, who opened India’s tally on the first day of the competition on the Tokyo Olympics with a gleaming silver, has saved a low profile since struggling hip tendonitis at some stage within the Asian Games closing October.

Chanu has endured a alternatively underwhelming Olympic cycle attributable to injury and workload administration.

Her best effort since Tokyo came on the 2022 Commonwealth Games the place she lifted 201kg (88kg+113kg). She had received the silver in Tokyo by heaving 202kg (87kg+115kg).

Competing in her pet 49kg weight classification, Chanu is perchance to be inside the scramble for a silver or bronze if she fits or betters her confidential best in both sections.

Reigning Olympic champion China’s Hou Zhihui is the favored to appear after her title.

When there are still murmurs surrounding her well being after she returned from a 5 month hiatus following the hip injury, both Chanu and chief countrywide tutor Vijay Sharma have asserted that the Manipuri has of course recovered.

“We fully grasp that Mira has to head correctly previous the 200kg mark. 202kg will now no longer decrease it this time alternatively somewhere round 205-206kg should do it. But we are geared up for the enterprise,” tutor Sharma informed PTI.

Whether, it be less intricate talked about than achieved, just because the 29-12 months-ancient has struggled to surpass her confidential improved of 88kg inside the snatch, set on the 2020 Nationwide Championships, and 119kg in imperative and jerk, performed on the 2021 Asian Championships, for exceedingly a even as.

When Chanu, who turns 30 on Thursday, can have one eye on her competitors’ barbells, the Manipuri’s principal fight may be with herself on the South Paris Container.

Her common performance inside the snatch part is still her achilles heal and her mediocre imperative and jerk common performance recently also doesn’t inspire self conception.

When a 90kg snatch bring up continues to elude Chanu, 4 of her competitors have breached the coveted mark.

Having talked about that, Chanu has been regarded to be a fighter and the most foresightful athletes inside the nation.

Be it being affected by intense menstrual camps to win a medal in Tokyo or in quest of a 117kg imperative and jerk bring up no be aware injuring herself at some stage within the Asian Games, she has shown her resolute area.

Regardless of the absence of North Korea’s Asian Games champion and world report holder Ri Notice Gum, the 49kg tournament is a beautifully competitive contest.

Chanu has set an entry weight of 200kg alongside two others — USA’s three-time Pan American champion and a world bronze medallist Jourdan Delacruz and 2021 world champion Surodchana Khambao of Thailand.

Zhihui and two-time European champion Romanian Mihaela Cambei have set entry weights of 210kg and 205kg respectively.

Chanu has been practise in Paris for a month.

She also bought support from American Dr Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-became-actual therapist and potential and conditioning tutor, who has been working with Chanu since 2020.