Paris: Saikhom Mirabai Chanu finished fourth to miss out on a weightlifting medal in her women’s 49kg category final on Thursday at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. One of India’s top medal contenders, Mirabai Chanu started with a 85kg lift in snatch before her second attempt was counted null and void. She successfully lifted 88kg in her third attempt. In clean and jerk, the Indian started with a failed attempt of 111kg. She successfully lifted the same in her second attempt before faltering once again in her final and sixth attempt when she lifted 114kg. Mirabai Chanu finished with a total of 199kg (88 + 111). The gold medal went to China’s Hou Zhihui who lifted 206kg (89 + 117).
Romanian Mihaela Cambei took silver with 205kg (93 + 112) while Thailand Surodchana Khambao was third with 200kg (88 + 112). The lifter, who opened India’s tally on the first day of the competition at the Tokyo Olympics with a sparkling silver, has kept a low profile since suffering hip tendonitis during the Asian Games last October. Mirabai Chanu has endured a rather underwhelming Olympic cycle thanks to injury and workload management.
Her best effort since Tokyo came at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she lifted 201kg (88kg+113kg). She had won the silver in Tokyo by heaving 202kg (87kg+115kg). Chanu has been training in Paris for a month. She also got help from American Dr Aaron Horschig, a former weightlifter-turned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach, who has been working with Chanu since 2020.