New Delhi: Nothing less than a gold will do for India’s champion weightlifter, Mirabai Chanu in the Tokyo Olympics. She is seeking to break China’s dominance and aura of invincibility in the sport. “I don’t want a silver in the Olympics; I want gold,” Mirabai Chanu, the world record holder in 49kg said Sunday.
Chanu is determined to do better than traditional powerhouse China and claim the top spot at the Tokyo Games. North Korea has withdrawn from the Olympics. So it is likely to be a two-way race between Chanu and the lifter representing China in the 49kg category.
“I have to go beyond the Chinese lifters. They think that no one can lift more than them but I want to break that. I can fight with them,” Chanu asserted.
China currently have two lifters who are ahead of Chanu in the Tokyo Games qualifying rankings. However, only one of them can participate as per the rules. Both have lifted more weight than the Indian’s personal best (205kg).
with Hou Zhihui setting a new world record in snatch and total weight with an effort of 213kg (96g+117kg) at the ongoing Asian Championships.
Chanu returned to international action after 16 months at the ongoing Asian Championships. The 2017 World Champion lifted 86kg in snatch and a world record 119kg in clean and jerk for a total of 205kg to pocket the bronze medal.
A delighted Chanu revealed that she gained the belief that she could create a world mark at the 2019 World Championships. She had then lifted 118kg that is moving the barbell from the floor to a racked position across the shoulders. However, she failed to lift it to a stationary position above her head (jerk).
“I had cleaned 118kg but missed out on the jerk. So, then I gained the confidence that I can lift more than them. I worked on it. In snatch, I feel a little uncomfortable because of my shoulder injury sometimes. My confidence is a bit low but in clean and jerk I was up for the challenge,” Chanu said.
Her 119kg effort fetched her a gold medal in clean and jerk. Chanu faltered twice in snatch as she attempted 85kg. A third failed attempt would have ended her championship.
The 26-year-old knows she has to improve her snatch to compete with China. Zhihui’s 96kg at the continental event was a new world record, while Chanu’s personal best is 88kg.
“I have to improve snatch to be at par with the Chinese. The difference in snatch is more. I knew I couldn’t cover that much but I had prepared for 91kg-92kg (for the Asian Championship) but that didn’t pan out as expected,” Chanu informed.
The diminutive Manipuri conceded that this past year, when the weightlifting schedule went haywire due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a confusing period filled with anxiety.
“I lost out on some confidence because of this one-year break as we didn’t compete anywhere. Doubts crept in, you keep thinking ‘what will happen, how will I perform’. It was a confusing time,” Chanu revealed.