Mirabai Chanu: Now my attention is on making a mark at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu made a comeback from a six-month injury lay off as she finished third in the women’s 49kg Group B and 11th overall at the IWF World Cup, an Olympic qualifying event on Monday.
Chanu was far from her best 88kg in snatch and 119kg in clean & jerk, but managed to lift a total of 184kg (81kg+103kg) with five clean lifts.
The Indian weightlifter, who suffered a hip tendonitis injury at the Asian Games, said in a media release, “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. The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone involved in my rehab and recovery, I pushed through all the complications. The journey to get here required relentless dedication and hard work, and I couldn’t be happier being back on the ramp – lifting and competing for my country.”
“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,” added the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
With the completion of her event, Chanu fulfilled the criteria for the Paris Olympics, which is participating in two compulsory events and three qualifiers.
Currently second in her weight category for the Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR), Chanu is behind China’s Jian HuiHua.
Vijay Sharma, Chanu’s coach, was focussed on her rehabilitation and seeing her perform after six months made him proud. “Our entire focus leading up to this event was solely on her (Mirabai’s) rehabilitation. Seeing her perform comfortably today, given she is returning after six months of injury and rehabilitation, makes me proud of all the hard work we have done. Today, she was comfortable and confident in her lifts.
“Now that we’re almost through, our focus is firmly set on the Paris Olympics 2024. It’s time to channel all our energy into preparing for the main event in Paris.”
After the World Cup, the official announcement will be made with the top 10 lifters from each weight class guaranteed a Paris 2024 spot.
(With inputs from PTI)