Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu all but qualified for the 2024 Paris Games after finishing third in the women’s 49kg Group B event of the IWF World Cup on Monday. Returning from a six-month injury layoff, Chanu lifted a total of 184 kg (81 kg + 103 kg) during the tournament, the final and a mandatory qualifying match for the Paris Olympics. “It feels incredible to come back from injury. Almost every lift I did today felt clean, clear and powerful, and I leave this match feeling strong and confident,” Chanu said.
“The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone involved in my rehabilitation and recovery, I made it through all the complications.” With the completion of her event, Chanu has met the criteria for the Paris Olympics, competing in two compulsory events and three other qualifying tournaments.
The 2017 world champion is currently ranked second in the Women’s 49kg Olympic Qualifying Rankings (OQR), behind China’s Jian HuiHua.
The weightlifting qualifying period ends on April 28, after which the IWF will notify the NOCs whose athletes are ranked in the top 10.
The top 10 lifters from each weight class qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.
“The goal was to secure my spot for the Paris Olympics, and now that I’m almost ready for the Paris Olympics, all my focus is on making a mark at the Paris Olympics,” added them to it.
Chanu, who last competed at the Asian Games in September where she suffered hip tendonitis, was not at her best but was able to complete five clean lifts.
Her last clean and jerk attempt at 106 kg was ruled a no-lift on technical grounds.
“Today’s event was to assess how Mira’s body is developing as she returns after six months of injury and rehabilitation. And more importantly, to get her confidence back,” head coach Vijay Sharma told PTI.
“We weren’t worried about qualifying, she has already qualified. Now we will focus on peaking at the right time in Paris,” he added.
Chanu’s performance in the snatch and clean and jerk sections did not come close to her personal best efforts.
The 29-year-old has a personal best of 88kg in snatch, while she had broken the then world record of 119kg in clean and jerk at the 2021 Asian Championships.
But given that she is coming off an injury and is recovering, Chanu still has time to peak in July and her progress is looking good.
She will have to cover a lot of ground as her opponents had a total effort of up to 221kg in the A category on Monday.
Chanu will be the only Indian weightlifter at the Paris Games, which will be her third appearance at the Olympics.
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