Mirabai Chanu: At the Paris Olympics, Mirabai Chanu narrowly missed out on winning a medal for India in weightlifting. This outcome has also dashed hopes of securing a medal in weightlifting for the country. Today, August 8, was Mirabai’s 30th birthday, and she had an opportunity to make history. However, winning a medal on this day was not meant to be. Mirabai has since explained the reasons for her defeat.
After the event, Mirabai stated that she is very happy with her performance. She acknowledged that every athlete faces challenges in competitions. She has dealt with numerous injuries throughout her career; she missed a medal in the Rio Olympics in 2016 due to injury. However, she later became the world champion and won a silver medal for India in the Tokyo Olympics. This time, despite her best efforts, an injury sustained during the Asian Games forced her to undergo 4-5 months of rehab, leaving her with less preparation time for the Olympics.
Additionally, Mirabai mentioned that she had an unlucky day and was dealing with a female issue (her period). This was the third day of her period.
#WATCH | Paris: Indian Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu speaks on finishing 4th in women’s 49 kg weightlifting event at #ParisOlympics2024
She says, “I tried my best to win a medal for the country but I missed it today…It is a part of the game, we all sometimes win and sometimes… pic.twitter.com/hPyYCt7AOL
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2024
Mirabai Chanu: Missed the Medal by One Kilogram
Mirabai competed in the 49 kg weight category and performed well in the snatch round, lifting 88 kg and finishing third. However, her performance in the clean and jerk round was not as strong. With a total lift of 199 kg, she missed the medal by just one kilogram. The gold medal went to Hou Zhihui of China, who set an Olympic record in the clean and jerk. Mirabai finished fourth, while the silver medal went to Hou Zhihui and the bronze went to Surodchan Khambo of Thailand.
Won Silver in Tokyo Olympics
Mirabai had a chance to make history by winning a medal in these Olympics. Achieving this would have made her the first Indian weightlifter to win two Olympic medals. Previously, Karnam Malleswari had won a bronze medal in Sydney 2000. Mirabai surpassed this by winning a silver medal in Tokyo. At 30 years old, Mirabai lifted a total of 202 kg (87 kg in the snatch and 115 kg in the clean and jerk) to secure her silver medal. She also performed admirably at the Commonwealth Games 2022, lifting a total of 201 kg (88 kg in the snatch and 113 kg in the clean and jerk).
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