Indian weightlifting sensation Mirabai Chanu narrowly missed out on clinching her second Olympic medal, finishing in fourth place at the women’s 49kg event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. On her 30th birthday, the weightlifter lifted a total of 199kg (88kg+111kg), falling short of her Tokyo Olympics total of 202kg.
Despite a promising performance, a failed lift in her final clean and jerk attempt cruelly snatched away the dream of a bronze medal. Had she successfully lifted 114kg, she would have secured the coveted podium finish.
Mirabai Opens Up About the Struggle
Reflecting on her performance, Mirabai attributed her near-miss to a combination of factors. “I am happy with the performance because I managed this despite having very little time for recovery,” she said.
The weightlifter revealed the physical challenges she faced: “I was managing 85 in practice and I did it in the competition too. I was confident about clean and jerk also. It was my third day of the period and that also affects you a bit,” she explained.
Despite the setbacks, Mirabai expressed satisfaction with her execution of the coach’s strategy. “It was going good, whatever the coach said I did. It is just destiny that I did not get a medal, I did my best,” she said with a smile.
A Fierce Competition
The competition was intense, with China’s Hou Zhihui defending her title by breaking the clean and jerk Olympic record with a lift of 206kg (89kg+117kg). Romania’s Mihaela Cambei secured the silver with a total of 205kg (93kg+112kg), while Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao claimed the bronze with a lift of 200kg (88kg+112kg).
Mirabai began the competition strongly, successfully lifting 85kg in her first snatch attempt. However, she missed her second attempt at 88kg, before recovering to lift 88kg in her final attempt.
The clean and jerk phase was a rollercoaster of emotions. Mirabai successfully lifted 111kg in her second attempt but failed to lift 114kg in her final attempt, dashing her medal hopes.
Wearing the gold Olympic rings earrings gifted by her mother, Mirabai entered the competition with a sense of optimism. Despite the challenges of an injury-plagued Olympic cycle, she managed to stay in contention after the snatch section.
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