“Mirabai Chanu Misses Medal by a Kilogram Amid Tough Conditions”

Mirabai Chanu was a strong contender for a medal in weightlifting at the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 7, but she fell short in her final attempt. Despite a valiant effort, she failed to lift 114 kg in her last clean and jerk attempt, thus missing out on a medal. Mirabai’s struggle was compounded by the fact that it was the third day of her menstrual cycle, which added to her physical challenges.

August 8, marks Mirabai’s 30th birthday, presenting her with a chance to make history. Reflecting on her performance, she expressed contentment despite the outcome. She acknowledged the disappointment of missing a medal but noted that such setbacks are part of every athlete’s journey. Mirabai reminisced about her past achievements, including becoming a world champion and winning a silver medal for India at the Tokyo Olympics, underscoring her resilience and dedication.

Mirabai elaborated on her recent challenges, including an injury at the Asian Games that required 4-5 months of rehabilitation, leaving her with limited preparation time for the Paris Olympics. Despite her best efforts, the combination of injury recovery and the timing of her menstrual cycle proved too much to overcome. She apologized for not securing a medal but emphasized that luck was not on her side this time.

In her competition, Mirabai performed admirably in the snatch round, lifting a best weight of 88 kg and ranking third. However, her clean and jerk attempts fell short. Although she successfully lifted 111 kg on her second try, she failed to lift 114 kg in her final attempt, ultimately finishing in fourth place with a total lift of 199 kg. China’s Hou Zhihui won gold with a total of 206 kg, while Romania’s Valentina Cambei and Thailand’s Surodachana Khambo took silver and bronze, respectively.