Picture : Twitter / ANI
The ever-improving Mirabai Chanu ended India’s over two-decade long wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics, clinching the 49kg category silver medal.
With her historic triumph, she ensured that India was second on the medals tally for now, a feat that has never been achieved before by the country.
The diminutive iron lady from Manipur lifted a total of 202kg (87kg+115kg) to better Karnam Malleswari’s bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With this, she exorcised the ghosts of the 2016 Games where she had failed to log a single legitimate lift, leaving her shattered.
“I am very happy, I have been dreaming of this for the past five years. I am very proud of myself right now. I did try for gold but even silver is a great achievement for me,” Chanu told reporters after her career-defining triumph for which she had been training in the US for past few months.
After her awesome feat feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his delight, when he he wrote, Could not have asked for a happier start to @Tokyo2020! India is elated by @mirabai_chanu ’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian.
Could not have asked for a happier start to @Tokyo2020! India is elated by @mirabai_chanu’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian. #Cheer4India #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/B6uJtDlaJo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2021
The gold went to China’s Hou Zhihui with an effort of 210kg (94kg+116kg), who created Olympic records in all three categories (snatch, clean and jerk and Total). Aisah Windy Cantika of Indonesia took home the bronze with an effort of 194kg (84kg+110kg).
