Paris Olympics 2024: Mirabai Chanu Misses Medal with Heartbreaking 4th Place Finish in 49kg Weightlifting
The campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 has been a tough one for India, and that was added to by the performance of Mirabai Chanu in the Women’s 49kg Weightlifting category at the event. She was the silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and one of the strong contenders for a podium finish, but ended up missing a fiercely contested event by coming 4th with a total lift of 199 kg. Fans and all those who are supporting Indian sports are left disappointed as she ended her journey just 1 kg shy of the bronze medal.
Chanu’s Journey in the Snatch Event
Chanu began the Snatch phase with a bright performance, easily managing 85kg in the first attempt. With the others failing to better her weight, she looked set for a good performance. However, disaster struck as Chanu failed to clear 88kg on her second lift, after which the pressure started getting to her.
She is not one who will let this better her; a resurgent Chanu returned for her third attempt and effortlessly lifted 88kg to equal her best from the first lift. At the end of the Snatch event, she was an assured 3rd behind Hou Zhihui of China with a best lift of 89kg and Cambei Mihaela Valentina of Romania, who lifted 93kg. Chanu’s performance in the Snatch event made all the difference in keeping her hopes alive for a medal heading into the Clean-and-Jerk phase.
Clean-and-Jerk: The Brawl
Feeling the great challenge from her fellow competitors trying to better their snatch weights, Chanu entered into the clean-and-jerk. Quite often, the Clean-and-Jerk is considered to be the easier part of weightlifting, although it easily can be the most deceiving. Chanu strategically decided to start with 111kg for her first lift, where she initially wanted to attempt 107kg. This made it very clear she was there to push some limits and stake her claim among the best of them.
As the reigning world champion, Hou Zhihui got underway with 110kg on the board, the same weight as Romania’s Valentina. Chanu’s first attempt at 111kg was ill-fated. She could not stand still for a second and committed the cardinal sin in weightlifting: she fouled, unable to jerk.
The setback did not deter Chanu, who showed remarkable resilience and coolness. She came back onto the platform more stable in her second attempt and lifted 111kg to take her total to 199kg. At this juncture, she was tied for second along with Zhihui of China, thereby reopening hopes of a medal.
The Final Attempt: A Heartbreaking Conclusion
With competition at fever pitch, Chanu knew that she needed to put up her personal best of 202kg to remain in contention for a finish on the podium. Turning bold, the decision was made to go for 114kg on her last lift. But then nerves started to play a part. Feeling the weight of expectation of an entire nation, her nerves got the better of her as she failed to hold the jerk and ended it with a total of 199kg.
In a stunning turn of events, this finally pushed Chanu to fourth place, as Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao managed a 200kg lift to leave Chanu just 1kg behind the podium. It best summed up the emotions of many a fan and athlete: some of the margins that separate success from heartbreak at the Olympics. Overcoming Adversity
For Chanu, this has not been a smooth journey to the Olympics.
Overcoming Adversity
Six months of injury layoff followed by a performance at the IWF World Cup for a total lift of 184kg that placed her 12th both more an indicator of how bad preparation had gone. However, her dogged determination to get back into shape and fight out there on the world stage spoke volumes for character and commitment to the sport.
While the Olympics proceeds, Chanu’s performance reminds one of all the labor pains that an athlete takes to represent in such a mega event. While, perhaps, she lost out in medal count this time, her doggedness and quest for excellence made thousands of fans back home in India do a thumbs-up for her.
A Peek into the Future
As Mirabai Chanu looks back at her Olympic experience, she has been a big name in Indian sports. Her story inspires with the never-give-up attitude and seasoned determination of Olympic athletes the world over. Of course, this year’s Olympics did not give her the results she wanted, but there is no denying that her legacy and influence will live on to inspire a new generation of weightlifters in India and around the world.
This is not the end of the story of Chanu as the curtain falls on this 49kg weightlifting event. The Indian weightlifter’s talent and tenacity guarantee that she will be back fighting for greatness in future competitions and raise further the stature of weightlifting in India.
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