Paris Olympics 2024 weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu's fierce opponents standing between her and a 2nd medal

As Mirabai Chanu gears up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, she finds herself in the spotlight once again, poised to compete against some of the world's most formidable weightlifters. Known for her prowess in the clean and jerk, Chanu has been a dominant figure in international weightlifting since her historic silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, her journey to Paris has been anything but smooth, marked by both triumphs and trials.

How Mirabai Chanu stacks up against the world's best

Despite these setbacks, Chanu remains a strong contender in the 49kg weight category, where her competitors are equally determined. Hou Zhihui of China, the defending Tokyo 2020 gold medalist, is widely regarded as the favorite. With a personal best of 217kg, including an impressive 120kg in the clean and jerk and 97kg in the snatch, Hou leads the field by a significant margin. Chanu, with her personal best of 205kg, holds the second-highest overall lift among her competitors.??

Among Chanu's other opponents is Jourdan Delacruz of the USA, who boasts a personal best total of 207kg in the 55kg category, with an 89kg snatch and a 112kg clean and jerk. Delacruz's transition to the 49kg category will be closely watched, as she poses a strong challenge to Chanu.??

Credit: Xinhua| Hou Zhihui

Japanese lifter Suzuki Rira and Randafiarison Rosina from Madagascar are also expected to put up stiff competition, alongside Beatriz Piron Candelario of the Dominican Republic, Nicola Velasco Lagatao of Guam, and Katherin Echandia Zarate from Venezuela. Fang Wan-Ling of Chinese Taipei and Nina Sterckx of Belgium round out a highly competitive field.

Despite the fierce competition, Chanu's coach, Vijay Sharma, has expressed confidence in her readiness. "She is now pain-free and training well," Sharma confirmed. If the competition total hovers around 202-205kg, Chanu could very well find herself on the podium once again.

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Mirabai Chanu's journey to Paris Olympics 2024

Since Tokyo 2020, Chanu has added to her accolades with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham and a silver at the 2022 IWF World Championships.?

Credit: X

Yet, her competitive appearances have been limited due to injuries, competing in only three events since her Tokyo success. The 2023 season has been particularly challenging for Chanu, with a sixth-place finish at the Asian Championships and a fourth-place finish at the Asian Games, where a hip injury kept her out of action for five months.?

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Her only competition this year, the IWF World Cup in Qatar, saw her finishing 12th with a total lift of 184kg, well below her personal best of 205kg.

Mirabai Chanu: Paris Olympics?2024?weightlifting schedule

Date: August 7, Wednesday

Event: Women’s 49kg

Time: 11:00 PM

Venue: South Paris Arena 6

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