Indian fans experienced a tough day as their medal hopes took a hit when S. Mirabai Chanu, a prominent contender and silver medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, finished fourth in the women’s 49 kg weightlifting final on Wednesday.
Chanu concluded the competition with a total of 199 kg across the two phases. Her personal best, achieved during the 2020 Asian Championship, stands at 205 kg.
Despite holding the bronze medal position after her penultimate attempt, Chanu was overtaken by Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao. Chanu’s final attempt of 114 kg in the clean and jerk phase fell short, which was particularly disheartening given her past world record of 119 kg in this category.
Romania’s Mihaela Cambei initially led with a score of 205 kg. However, China’s Zhihui Hou set a new Olympic record by lifting 107 kg in her final attempt, ultimately securing the gold with a total of 206 kg.
In the snatch phase, Chanu made an impressive start, matching the Dominican Republic’s Beatriz Piron with an 85 kg lift. They were tied for the highest lift of the round until Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao surpassed them with an 86 kg lift on her first attempt.
Chanu attempted to exceed her Tokyo Olympics snatch record of 87 kg, but only managed to lift 88 kg on her final attempt, which at that point was the highest of the night. Romania’s Mihaela Cambei led the snatch phase with a 93 kg lift on her third attempt.
During the clean and jerk phase, Chanu was unable to lift 111 kg and her final attempt of 114 kg was also unsuccessful, preventing her from securing a medal.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chanu had achieved a total lift of 202 kg (87 kg snatch and 115 kg clean and jerk) to win a podium place in the women’s 49 kg category. Her top lift remains 205 kg from the 2020 Asian Championship.
