Mirabai Chanu’s Heartbreak: India’s Olympic Hopes Dashed Once Again

India’s Olympic dream took another severe blow on Wednesday as the nation’s weightlifting stalwart, Mirabai Chanu, narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In a heart-wrenching finish to the women’s 49kg category, Chanu secured the fourth position, extending India’s unfortunate streak of near-misses at the Games.

The Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, competing in her third Olympics, lifted a total of 199kg (88kg snatch + 111kg clean and jerk). In a fiercely contested event, she found herself just outside the podium places, a cruel twist of fate for the Indian athlete.

The gold medal was clinched by China’s Hou Zhihui, who successfully defended her title with a total lift of 206kg (89kg snatch + 117kg clean and jerk). Zhihui’s impressive clean and jerk of 117kg not only secured her the top spot but also set a new Olympic record.

Romania’s Mihaela Cambei, the reigning European champion, claimed the silver medal with a total lift of 205kg (93kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk). Cambei’s dominance was evident in the snatch round where she lifted a strong 93kg, setting the tone for the competition.

Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, a former world champion, secured the bronze medal with a total lift of 200kg (88kg snatch + 112kg clean and jerk). Khambao’s performance pushed Chanu out of the podium places, adding to the Indian’s disappointment.

Chanu’s journey in the competition was marked by both strength and adversity. She began the snatch round with a successful lift of 85kg but failed her second attempt at 88kg. Undeterred, she matched her personal best and national record of 88kg on her final attempt, placing her joint-third with Khambao at the end of the round.

The clean and jerk round began on a nervous note for Chanu as she failed her first attempt at 111kg. However, she quickly recovered, successfully lifting the same weight on her second attempt to move into second place alongside Zhihui.

As the competition intensified, Cambei and Khambao raised the bar with successful lifts, pushing Chanu down the rankings. With one final attempt remaining, Chanu went for a challenging 114kg but was unable to complete the lift, leaving her with a total of 199kg and a heartbreaking fourth-place finish.

India’s Olympic campaign has been marred by a series of close calls, with this being the country’s sixth fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Games. The near-misses in archery, badminton, and shooting have added to the nation’s disappointment.

Mirabai Chanu, the sole weightlifting representative for India at the Paris Olympics, carried the hopes of a billion people. Her fourth-place finish is a bitter pill to swallow for Indian sports fans, who were eagerly anticipating a medal to brighten the country’s Olympic campaign.

The weightlifting world witnessed a thrilling competition, with records broken and personal bests achieved. However, for Mirabai Chanu and India, the Paris Olympics will be remembered as a tournament of what could have been.