Mirabai Chanu Saikhom.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
Tokyo Olympics silver-medallist Mirabai Chanu all however certified for the 2024 Paris Games after she completed third in the ladies’s 49kg Group B occasion of the IWF World Cup in Phuket on Monday.
Returning from a six-month damage lay off, Chanu lifted a complete of 184kg (81kg+103kg) on the event, which is the ultimate and a compulsory qualifier for the Paris Olympics.
“It feels incredible to come back after an injury. Almost every lift I made today felt clean, clear, and powerful, and I’m leaving this competition feeling strong and confident,” Chanu stated.
“The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone involved in my rehab and recovery, I pushed through all the complications.”
With the completion of her occasion, Chanu has fulfilled the standards for the Paris Olympics, which is taking part in two obligatory occasions and three different qualifiers.
The 2017 world champion is at present ranked second in the ladies’s 49kg Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) behind China’s Jian HuiHua.
The qualification interval for weightlifting will finish on April 28, following which the IWF will notify the NOCs which have athlete(s) ranked in the highest 10.
The prime 10 lifters from every weight class will qualify for the Paris Olympics.
“The goal was to secure my spot for the Paris Olympics, and now that I am almost through for the Paris Olympics, all my attention is on making a mark at the Paris Olympics,” she added.
Chanu, who final competed on the Asian Games in September the place she suffered a hip tendonitis damage, was not at her finest, however was ready to make 5 clear lifts.
Her closing clear and jerk try of 106kg was deemed a no elevate on technicality.
“Today’s event was to assess how Mira’s body is progressing given she is returning after six months of injury and rehabilitation. And more importantly to get her confidence back,” chief coach Vijay Sharma instructed PTI.
“We were not bothered about the qualification, she has already qualified. Now we will focus on peaking at the right time in Paris,” he added.
Chanu’s lifts in the snatch and clear and jerk sections have been nowhere shut to her private finest efforts.
The 29-year-old has a private finest of 88kg in snatch whereas she had lifted the then world document of 119kg in clear and jerk on the Asian Championships in 2021.
But on condition that she is coming off an damage and rehab, Chanu nonetheless has time to peak in July and her progress appears good.
She can have quite a bit of floor to cowl up as her opponents had whole efforts of up to 221kg in the A class on Monday.
Chanu would be the lone Indian weightlifter on the Paris Games, which will likely be her third look on the Olympics.