Mirabai Chanu wins silver in the World Championship despite a wrist injury.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist lifted 87kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk while participating in the 49kg weight class.
Mirabai Chanu, a star Indian weightlifter, was not at her best due to a wrist injury, but she nevertheless earned a silver medal at the World Championships with a total lift of 200kg on Wednesday in Bogota, Colombia.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist lifted 87kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk while participating in the 49kg weight class.
The Indian finished second to China’s Jiang Huihua, who won gold with a total effort of 206kg (93kg 113kg), while fellow compatriot and Tokyo Olympics champion Hou Zhihua claimed bronze with a total effort of 198kg (89kg 109kg).
“We were not under any duress for this occasion. Mira frequently lifts this weight. We will now begin to increase the weights and improve “Vijay Sharma, the head coach, said PTI.
Chanu, the 2017 world champion, injured her wrist during a September training session. With the injury, she had also competed in the National Games in October.
We were unable to do anything about the injury since we did not want to miss the World Championships. We will now concentrate on her wrist because we have plenty of time until the next tournament,” Sharma explained.
While the 11-person field was very contested, most lifters avoided stretching. Zhihua even forewent her final clean and jerk effort in order to take bronze.
Chanu had a disappointing snatch session in her first international contest since the Commonwealth Games. Her first try was an 84kg lift, but her second attempt of 87kg was ruled a no lift.
Chanu, as expected, did not attempt the much-anticipated 90kg lift.
The 27-year-old, who had her wrist wrapped, wobbled a bit in her final effort but was able to lift the 87kg barbell, which is a kilogramme less than her personal best in the division.
Chanu finished fifth after the snatch portion, with the highest clean and jerk entry weight, but her first attempt of 111kg was ruled a no lift because her left elbow wobbled slightly.
The Indian camp appealed the verdict, but it was upheld by the justices.
However, Chanu, the category’s world record holder, won the overall and clean and jerk silver with her final two efforts of 111kg and 113kg. He also won silver in the snatch event.
It is Manipuri’s second Worlds medal; she previously won gold in 2017.
In continental and world championships, medals are awarded individually for snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift. In the Olympics, however, only one medal for total lift is awarded.
The 2022 World Championship is the first qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, when weightlifting events will be reduced from 14 to 10 from the Tokyo Games.
It is, however, an optional event rather than a required one. A lifter must compete in both the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup in order to qualify for the Olympics in 2024.
Aside from the aforementioned requirements, the lifter must also compete in three events: the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix 1, the 2023 Grand Prix II, and the 2024 Continental Championships.