Mirabai Chanu, India's star weightlifter made history by becoming the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal in the Olympic Games on Saturday after overcoming adversity in Rio. Her journey from ‘a disappointing performance’ in the 2016 Rio Olympic to “amazeballs weightlifting’ in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is indefinable.
What happed at Rio Olympics?
Five years earlier than today, the Manipur athlete made her Olympic debut in Rio 2016 Olympics. At that time 21 years old (now 26) Mirabai Chanu’s first major global tournament was a flop as she failed to finish in the 48 kg category.
Back in the 2016 Olympics, Chanu got off to a shaky start in the snatch, failing to lift 82 kilos on her first attempt. She managed to lift the weight in her second effort, however flattered again in her third attempt at 84kg.
Chanu was sixth in the rankings going into the clean jerk, where she was unable to finish.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu Clinches India’s First Medal, Silver In Women's 49kg
‘Wanted to quit the sport’
Her substandard performance had crushed her to an extent that she wanted to quit the sport. Thanks to her mother and former Indian coach Anita Chanu who convinced her not to give up and stood by her.
With extraordinary support from her mother and coach, Mirabai once again started practicing hard. After this, India's lone weightlifter in Tokyo won gold in the world championship in 2017 and Commonwealth Games gold in the following year.
Mirabai finished fourth in the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships with a total of 201kgs (87kgs Snatch and 114kgs Clean & Jerk). This personal best total also established a new national record in the 49kg weight category.
Earlier in 2021, Chanu also registered a world record to her name by lifting 119 kg in clean and jerk at the Asian Weightlifting Championship.
Mirabai Channu made India proud
Now, Mirabai Chanu has become the first Indian woman to win a silver in the 49 kg weight category by lifting a total of 202 kg at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Apart from winning the silver medal for India, Chanu has successfully registered a new Olympic record to her name by lifting 115kg in clean and jerk. By winning silver, the olympian has ended India’s 21 years of medal drought in weightlifting.
Karanam Mallehwari previously won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
The Olympian from Manipur's Imphal won her first medal when she was just 11 years old in a local weightlifting tournament. She started her international career by performing in World and Junior Championship.
Idols and Coaches
She sees Kunjarani Devi as her idol. Her coach Anita Chanu, on Mirabai’s historic performance, said, “she made whole India proud.”
“I saw her performance right from the first lift. She looked very confident. I think the experience in Rio helped. Mirabai was not nervous at all and kept her concentration from the first lift to the last,” she added.
Chanu’s assistant coach Sandeep Kumar also plays a significant role in her win. It was Mr. Kumar under whose guidance Chanu honed her skills to perfection thus bringing laurels for the country.
Today, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh congratulated Ms. Chanu and assistant coach Sandeep Kumar for this great achievement.
Coach for Chanu, Sandeep Kumar hails from Jalandhar and is serving as Inspector of Punjab Police, stationed at Sports Centre, in Armed Police, Jalandhar. Mr. Kumar himself had participated in Atlanta Olympics, in the 69 kg category. He won the bronze medal at Kaula Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998.