2024-04-06 08:36:36
New Delhi: Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu secured her place in the Paris Olympics by finishing third in Group B of the women’s 49 kg weight category at the IWF World Cup on Monday. Mirabai, who returned after six months due to injury, lifted a total of 184 kg (81 kg and 103 kg). It is the final and mandatory qualifier tournament for the Paris Olympics.
Mirabai second in 49 kg Olympic qualification ranking
With the completion of her event, Mirabai has fulfilled the criteria set for the Paris Olympics, which include participating in two mandatory tournaments and three more qualifiers. India’s 2017 world champion Mirabai is currently ranked second in the women’s 49kg Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR) behind China’s Jian Huihua.
The official announcement of the qualified players will be made after the conclusion of the World Cup when the OQR is updated. The top 10 lifters from each weight category will qualify for the Paris Olympics. Mirabai had last participated in the Asian Games in September last year where she got injured. She could not perform at her best but she did not make any mistakes in lifting the weight five times.
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She could not even come close to her best performance in snatch and clean and jerk. The 29-year-old has a personal best of 88kg in the snatch, while she had set a then world record of 119kg in the clean and jerk at the Asian Championships in 2021. But she has just recovered from the injury and is likely to reach her peak by July. Mirabai will be the only Indian weightlifter to participate in the Paris Olympics. This will be the third time that she will participate in the Olympics.