Out of the limelight due to an injury-laden buildup, Mirabai Chanu will take center stage on Wednesday as she aims to become the first Indian weightlifter to win two Olympic medals. Despite facing a tough field and ongoing fitness concerns, Chanu, who secured a silver on the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics, has remained low-profile since suffering from hip tendonitis during the Asian Games last October. Her Olympic cycle has been challenging due to injuries and workload management.
Chanu’s best performance since Tokyo was at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she lifted 201kg (88kg snatch, 113kg clean and jerk). She won silver in Tokyo with a total of 202kg (87kg snatch, 115kg clean and jerk).
Competing in her preferred 49kg weight category, Chanu is expected to vie for silver or bronze if she matches or exceeds her personal bests. China’s reigning Olympic champion Hou Zhihui is favored to retain her title.
Despite lingering fitness doubts after a five-month hiatus due to her hip injury, both Chanu and national coach Vijay Sharma insist she has fully recovered. “We know Mira has to exceed the 200kg mark. 202kg won’t be enough this time, but around 205-206kg should suffice. We are ready for the challenge,” Sharma told PTI.
However, this will be tough, as Chanu has struggled to surpass her personal best of 88kg in the snatch (set at the 2020 National Championships) and 119kg in the clean and jerk (set at the 2021 Asian Championships).
As she turns 30 on Thursday, Chanu’s main challenge at the South Paris Arena will be her own performance. Her snatch section continues to be a weakness, and her recent clean and jerk results haven’t been promising.
While Chanu has yet to lift 90kg in the snatch, four of her competitors have already surpassed this mark. Nevertheless, Chanu is known for her resilience. She has shown her tenacity by overcoming intense menstrual cramps to win a medal in Tokyo and attempting a 117kg clean and jerk despite an injury during the Asian Games.
The 49kg event remains highly competitive, even without North Korea’s Asian Games champion and world record holder Ri Song Gum. Chanu has set an entry weight of 200kg, alongside USA’s three-time Pan American champion and world bronze medallist Jourdan Delacruz, and 2021 world champion Surodchana Khambao of Thailand. Zhihui and Romanian two-time European champion Mihaela Cambei have entry weights of 210kg and 205kg, respectively.
Chanu has been training in Paris for a month, with 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.
