Mirabai Chanu missed out on the 49kg weightlifting bronze medal by one kilogram on Wednesday, adding to the Indian contingent’s heartbreak at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist finished fourth with a score of 199. It was only short of Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, who won bronze with a score of 200.
While Chanu and Khambao were tied at 88kg after the snatch round, the Thai weightlifter finished third with 112kg in the clean and jerk round, while Chanu only managed to lift 110kg. The Indian weightlifter attempted to lift 117kg twice but was unsuccessful in both the attempts.
Mirabai, who turns 30 on Thursday, lifted 199 kg in total at the South Paris Arena (88 kg plus 111 kg). It was 3 kg less than the 202 kg she had to lift to win a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Out of six tries, Mirabai was only able to complete three lifts. In the clean and jerk section, she only had one successful lift.
The former world champion had done well to keep herself in medal contention after the snatch event but her failure to lift 114kg in her final clean and jerk attempt cost her dearly.
If she had succeeded she would have bagged the bronze medal. But unfortunately she lost and finished in 4th position.
“I am happy with the performance because I managed this despite having very little time for recovery,” Mirabai told reporters.
“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 women’s problem and that also affects you a bit,” she said.
“It was going good, whatever the coach said I did. It is just destiny that I did not get medal, I did my best,” she said, smiling.
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Source: Business Standard
