Mirabai Chanu lifts 184kg on return from injury, assured of Paris Olympics qualification

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is virtually assured of qualification for the Paris Olympics this year after finishing third in the women’s 49kg Group B event of the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on Monday.

Chanu, returning from a six-month injury layoff, lifted a total weight of 184 kg (81kg+103kg) in the tournament that not only is the final qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, but in which participation is compulsory for lifters hoping to make an appearance in the world’s biggest sporting event.

With the completion of her event, Chanu has fulfilled the criteria for the Paris Olympics, which is participating in two compulsory events and three other qualifiers.

The 2017 world champion is currently ranked second in the women’s 49kg Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) behind China’s Jian HuiHua.

The official announcement for the qualification will come after the conclusion of the World Cup when the OQR will be updated. The top 10 lifters from each weight class will qualify 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. The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone involved in my rehab and recovery, I pushed through all the complication," Chanu said after the event.

“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,” the Manipuri athlete added.

Mirabai’s coach Vijay Sharma added that his team’s focus in the build-up to the World Cup was on her rehabilitation, and expressed pride at seeing the 29-year-old perform with little issues.

“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,” Sharma said.

Chanu, who last competed at the Asian Games in September where she suffered a hip tendonitis injury, was not at her best, but was able to make five clean lifts.

Her lifts in the snatch and clean and jerk sections were nowhere close to her personal best efforts.

The 29-year-old has a personal best of 88kg in snatch while she had lifted the then-world record of 119kg in clean and jerk at the Asian Championships in 2021.

But given that she is coming off an injury and rehab, Chanu still has time to peak in July and her progress looks good.

Chanu will be the lone Indian weightlifter at the Paris Games, which will be her third appearance at the Olympics.

With PTI inputs