Olympics Silver Medalist Mirabai Chanu qualified in Paris Olympic 2024 after she finished third in the women’s 49kg Group B and 12th in overall in the IWF World Cup held in Thailand on Monday.
Mirabai Chanu was injured she comeback after six months. This is wonderful comeback. She lifted total of 184 kg (81 kg + 103 Kg) at the Games which qualifies her in the Paris Olympic. She became the only weightlifter from the country for the Paris Olympic.
Her last competition was at the Asian Games in September 2023. During this event, she suffered a hip injury and had to be carried off the lifting platform.
How did Mirabai select for the Paris Olympic?
Chanu Mirabai, a weightlifter, returned to competition after a six-month injury break. She didn’t perform as well as before, lifting 81kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk, finishing third with a total of 184kg. In comparison, her previous best was 202kg (87kg in snatch + 115kg in clean and jerk), winning her a silver medal in Tokyo. Despite her setback, she met the requirements for Olympic qualification by participating in key events like the 2022 Worlds, 2023 Asian Championships, and 2024 World Cup. Although she didn’t compete in the 2023 Worlds and Grand Prix II, she fulfilled all formalities. This earned her a #2 ranking in the Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR) by March 4, 2024.
However, despite her ranking, Mirabai’s best total of 200kg surpassed by lifters from China and North Korea. Despite this, only one lifter per country can compete at the Olympics, giving Mirabai a higher rank. North Korea’s late entry into qualification ensures Mirabai remains second in the OQR. After the World Cup, the top 10 lifters will qualify for the Paris Olympics, and Mirabai’s ranking will likely stay the same.
Since only one lifter per country can participate in the Olympic Games and North Korea joined the qualification process too late. Mirabai will maintain her second position in the Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR) after the World Cup update on April 11th.
Chanu has met the requirements for the Paris Olympics by participating in her event, which counts as one of the two compulsory events, along with three additional qualifying events.
About Mirabai Chanu
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, born on August 8, 1994, in Nongpok Kakching, Manipur, is an Indian weightlifter supported by OGQ. She won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 by lifting a total of 201 kg. In the Women’s 49 kg category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won the silver medal. Mirabai Chanu has also achieved success at the World Championships and multiple Commonwealth Games, earning recognition from the Government of India with awards like the Padma Shri and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2018.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she won the silver medal in the women’s 48 kg weight class. However, in 2018, she not only won gold but also set a new games record at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Her major victory before the 2020 Olympics was in 2017 when she clinched the gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, California. Mirabai Chanu also a world record holder in the Clean & Jerk in the 49 kg category until it surpassed by a Chinese lifter by 1 kg. Additionally, in 2022, she became the brand ambassador for the I-League club NEROCA.
