Mirabai Chanu ends third in World Cup, books Paris berth

PTI

Phuket, April 1

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu qualified for the 2024 Paris Games after finishing third in the women’s 49kg category Group B event of the IWF World Cup here today.

It feels incredible to come back after an injury. The goal was to secure my spot for the Paris Olympics, and now that I am almost through for the Paris Olympics, all my attention is on making a mark at theParis Olympics. — Mirabai Chanu

Returning from a six-month injury layoff, Chanu lifted a total of 184kg (81kg+103kg) at the tournament, which is the final, and mandatory, qualifier for the Paris Olympics.

With the completion of her event, Chanu has fulfilled the criteria for Paris, which is participating in two compulsory events and three other qualifiers.

“It feels incredible to come back after an injury. Almost every lift I made today felt clean, clear, and powerful, and I’m leaving this competition feeling strong and confident,” Chanu said. “The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone involved in my rehab and recovery, I pushed through all the complications.”

The 2017 world champion is currently ranked second in the women’s 49kg Olympics qualification ranking (OQR) behind China’s Jian HuiHua.

The official announcement for the qualification will come after the conclusion of the World Cup when the OQR will be updated. The top 10 lifters from each weight class will qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Chanu, who last competed at the Asian Games in September and suffered a hip tendonitis injury, was not at her best but was able to make five clean lifts.

Her final clean and jerk attempt of 106kg was deemed a no-lift on technicality. Her lifts in the snatch, and clean and jerk sections were nowhere close to her personal best efforts.

Given that she is coming off an injury and rehab, Chanu still has time to peak in July and her progress looks good. She will have a lot of ground to cover as her opponents had total efforts of up to 221kg in the A category today.

“Today’s event was to assess how Mira’s body is progressing given she is returning after six months of injury and rehabilitation. And more importantly to get her confidence back,” chief coach Vijay Sharma said. “We were not bothered about the qualification, she has already qualified. Now we will focus on peaking at the right time in Paris,” he added.

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