India’s quest for Olympic glory at Paris 2024 faced another setback as Mirabai Chanu narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event at the South Paris Arena on Wednesday.
Competing in her third Olympic Games, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist lifted a total of 199kg (88kg in snatch + 111kg in clean and jerk), placing her agonizingly close to the podium in what proved to be a highly competitive contest.
People’s Republic of China’s Hou Zhihui successfully defended her title, achieving an overall lift of 206kg (89kg snatch + 117kg clean and jerk).
Not only did Hou Zhihui retain her crown, but she also broke her own clean and jerk Olympic record by lifting 117kg, surpassing the reigning European champion Mihaela Cambei of Romania on the final attempt.
Cambei, who had dominated the snatch round with an impressive 93kg lift, recorded a new personal best of 112kg in the clean and jerk, securing a silver medal with a total of 205kg.
Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, lifting 200kg (88kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk), edged out Mirabai Chanu, pushing the Indian weightlifter to fourth place.
Mirabai began the snatch round confidently with an 85kg lift, but her second attempt of 88kg was unsuccessful.
Initially planning to lift 86kg, she made a late decision to aim for 88kg and matched her personal best, setting a national record in the process.
In the clean and jerk round, Mirabai experienced a nerve-wracking start as she failed her first attempt at 111kg. However, she successfully completed the lift on her second try, momentarily rising to second place alongside Hou Zhihui.
Unfortunately, her decision to attempt 114kg on her final lift proved costly, as she couldn’t complete the jerk, leaving her with a total of 199kg and just outside the medals.
Mirabai Chanu’s near miss was a bitter blow for India, continuing a trend of narrow finishes at the Paris 2024 Games.
This marks the country’s sixth fourth-place finish at these Olympics, adding to the heartbreak experienced in archery, badminton, and shooting, where Indian athletes have also missed out on medals by the slimmest of margins.