Mirabai Chanu finishes third at IWF World Cup 2024, meets final criteria for Paris Olympics

Phuket [Thailand], April 2 (ANI): Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu secured a quota for India at the upcoming Paris 2024 after she finished third in Group B at the IWF World Cup 2024 in Phuket.

Even though Chanu has not performed in the past six months due to injury but still the Indian weightlifter ended her voyage at third in Group B and 12th overall at the IWF World Cup 2024. She lifted a total weight of 184kg (81kg snatch + 103kg clean and jerk) in the event.

She was last seen lifting in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and after that in IWF World Cup 2024.

Chanu marked her attendance at the 2023 World Championships which was held in Riyadh last year but she didn’t lift weight to stay fit for the Asian Games.

As per the rules, it is mandatory for weightlifters to take part in 2023 World Weightlifting Championships and the 2024 IWF World Cup to qualify for the upcoming Olympics.

After bagging her quota for the upcoming Paris 2024, Chanu took to her official X (formerly Twitter) account and said that she was ‘happy’ to her country. She added that it was ‘good’ to be from injury.

“Good to be back after injury. I’m leaving this competition feeling strong & confident. The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone, I pushed through all the complications. I couldn’t be happier being back on the ramp – lifting for my country,”

Good to be back after injury.

I'm leaving this competition feeling strong & confident. The rehabilitation was tough and demanding, but with the support of everyone, I pushed through all the complications. I couldn't be happier being back on the ramp – lifting for my country. pic.twitter.com/O0Xq25b8d0

— Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) April 1, 2024

Mirabai Chanu lifted a total of 201 kg, winning the Gold Medal at the CWG 2022. She won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Women’s 49 kg category.

Mirabai Chanu has won the World Championships and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to the sport. She was awarded the sporting honour Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna by the Government of India in 2018.

Chanu won the silver medal in the women’s 48 kg weight class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow; she went on to break the games record en route to the gold medal at the 2018 edition of the event held in Gold Coast.

Prior to the 2020 Summer Olympics, her biggest achievement came in 2017, when she won the gold medal at World Weightlifting Championships held in Anaheim, California. She is the current world record holder in Clean & Jerk in the 49 kg category.