Road to Paris, Weightlifting: Who has qualified for the Olympics? Can India win a medal?

Weightlifting has earned India two medals at the Olympics but the first carries extra emphasis and created memories for what it represents. When Karnam Malleswari lifted an overall 240kg at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she made history for being the first Indian woman to medal at an Olympics.

Since then, six Indian women have won an Olympic medal, including one in weightlifting.

“It is a great feeling [to be the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal]. I feel proud that I was the first one to overcome the hurdles that women athletes face,” said Malleswari to Sportstar.

Carrying on in Malleswari’s footsteps was Mirabai Chanu. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held a year later due to COVID-19 pandemic, Chanu secured a silver in the 49kg weight category by lifting 202kg (87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk). Her personal best, though, is 88kg in snatch and 119kg in clean and jerk.

Like Malleswari, Chanu also created a “first”. In Japan, she became India’s first medallist on the opening day of the Games.

Who is going to Paris?

Mirabai Chanu, the 29-year-old from Imphal, Manipur, is the only Indian lifter going to the Paris Olympics. The Olympic and World Championship medallist is one of the toughest competitors in her weight category.

According to the IWF qualification guidelines for the Paris Olympics, athletes must participate in the 2023 World Championships, the 2024 World Cup, and three other significant competitions.

Chanu met these requirements by taking part in the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Asian Championships, the 2024 World Cup, and entering the 2023 World Championships and Grand Prix II where she completed all the required entry formalities but did not compete. It made her eligible to qualify for the Paris Games.

In what will be her third Summer Games, Chanu would be hoping to add another Olympic-related tatto to the Olympics Rings she has inked on her arm.

But the weightlifter is trying not to put extra pressure on herself.

“I am not burdening myself, but I am sure that I will give my best and hence, the medal will follow,” said Chanu in a press conference organised by the Sports Authority of India, Indian Olympic Association and the Indian Weightlifting Federation in June.

Her preparation for the Olympics come in the backdrop of a hip joint injury during the 2023 Asian Games in September which saw her finish fourth. It resulted in a six month injury layoff.

India’s Mirabai Chanu competes in the women’s 49kg Group B event at the IWF World Cup. Image credit: X/@g_rajaraman

Chanu has tried looking at the bright side of the injury as a learning experience.

“I learnt a lot after the injury. I learnt how to keep myself safe because injuries can happen anytime. We need to follow instructions of coaches, adopt right techniques, rest and exercise properly, and how to build your muscles,” she said.

“I understand my body. Injuries can happen anytime and these are difficult phases but we need to motivate ourselves and keep believing in ourselves.”

“Problems did happen but I am happy that I made a comeback. It was difficult, there is always self doubt when recovery will happen, how to recover soon and stuffs like these. All these questions came up in mind because I was counting days as the Olympics was near.

“But I didn’t give up and believed in myself, worked according to my coaches and physio and recovered fully,” Chanu said.

Mirabai Chanu reacts after an unsuccessful lift in the women’s 49kg Group A weightlifting final at 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. AP

She returned to competition at the Phuket World Cup in April and lifted a combined 184kg (81kg snatch and 103kg clean and jerk).

“The injury is fine, I have completely recovered from that but I am going slowly in training. In training now I am lifting 80-85 per cent in repetitions, I am not lifting 100 per cent till the Olympics.

“88kg in snatch and 119kg in clean and jerk are my best, but my target is 90kg plus in snatch in Paris, and I will try my best,” Chanu said.

“Right now, I am going gradually and lifting 70-80kgs in training but my target is 90kg plus and better clean jerk lift but I can’t say a specific target. I will do what it takes and try to give my best performance to win a medal, but I can’t predict the colour of the medal.”

For Chanu, managing her fitness and staying injury free is the biggest hurdle.

“After the Asian Games injury, the World Cup was my first competition. I was certainly apprehensive about picking up another injury,” Chanu said in Patiala in June. “I didn’t want to spoil my Paris chances. So, yes, that injury fear was there. For me, injury management and staying stress free will be important.”

“I have to do the things that helped me recover. Injuries and pain are companions for us. You never know when they will strike. We have to conquer them and Paris Olympics will tell me how well I have managed these aspects of the sport,” she added.

After training at the SAI Complex in Patiala, Chanu and team - American physio Dr. Aaron Horschig and coach Vijay Sharma - are scheduled to fly to Paris on 7 July in the run-up to the Games. They will be at Le Ferte-Milon to ‘acclimatise’ for the Olympics that begin on 26 July.

Is a medal possible?

With Asian Games medal continuing to elude her, Chanu would be banking on pocketing a second medal at the Olympics. And that’s a tall ask - only three Indian individuals have won two Olympic medals.

“I have faced a lot in the last three years due to injuries. The competitors have changed. I wonder whether I can medal again. But if I give my 100 per cent, then I can get a medal for the country,” said the lifter.

For Chanu, 90kg in snatch has long been a dream - much like Neeraj Chopra’s 90m throw in javelin throw. But like Chopra’s achievements, that alone is not important on the big day. What is important, however, is doing better than the rest of the field.

The field which could challenge Chanu in 49kg class includes Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Zhizhui Hou of China (207kg), Surodchana Khambao (200kg) of Thailand, Jourdan Elizabeth Delacruz (200kg) of USA, Mihaela-Valentina Cambei (199kg) of Romania and Rira Suzuki (197kg) of Japan.

If Chanu can stay fit, she can be on the podium. But with lack of competition, it is going to be a tall order. “It will be a dream for me and my family to win a second Olympic medal but I also know that even the best of preparation can fail. So, let’s hope for the best,” she said.