World and Olympic silver medallist lifter Mirabai Chanu took the sixth place in women’s 49kg with a total of 194kg despite a “hip joint issue” at the Asian weightlifting championships in Jinju, South Korea, on Friday.
Mirabai, who went through rehab after her Worlds silver medal winning performance of 200kg, including 87kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk, in Bogota in December last (and placed second in the current Olympics qualification rankings for Paris 2024), equalled the aggregate she had achieved at the selection trials in Patiala on March 31.
Troubled by back, shoulder and wrist issues in the past, the 28-year-old, who has been eyeing to touch 90kg in snatch since achieving her best of 88kg in February 2020 at the National championships in Kolkata, recorded 85kg in her first attempt but could not lift 88kg in her next two. She did 109kg in her opening clean and jerk effort before skipping the rest.
“Mira’s hip joint had some uneasiness. So, she did not exert pressure. Our primary aim was to participate (in the Olympic qualifying event) here,” said chief coach Vijay Sharma.
Mirabai, a former World champion, had secured a bronze medal, her best finish in the Asian championships, with a personal best of 205kg and the clean and jerk world record of 119kg when she competed in the continental meet in Tashkent in 2021.
Three-time World champion Chinese Jiang Huihua (94kg, 113kg, 207kg), her compatriot and Olympic champion Hou Zhiui (93kg, 111kg, 204kg) and 2021 World champion Thai Surodchana Khambao (90kg, 110kg, 200kg) claimed the top three spots in Jinju.
Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen, a two-time World champion in 45kg, also totaled 200kg.
Japan’s Rira Suzuki, who tied with Mirabai on 194kg while competing in Group-B, claimed the fifth position.
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