India added yet another to the list of its long fourth-place finishes at the 2024 Paris Olympics as weightlifter Mirabai Chanu finished just outside the podium place in the women’s 49kg event on Thursday.
Chanu, who had won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics three years back, finished with a total lift of 199kg – well below her personal best. She equalled her personal best with a 88kg lift in snatch, but faltered in clean and jerk by managing to lift only 111kg.
The total lift was a kilogram too less as Thailand’s Surodchana Khambo walked away with the bronze at 200kg, behind Romania’s Mihaela Valentia Cambei (205kg).
Meanwhile, China’s Hou Zhihui defended her title, lifting 206kg for the gold medal.
Chanu, who was struggling with injuries over the past year, dropped three lifts – one snatch, two in clean and jerk.
The 29-year-old from Manipur started off with 85kg in snatch and then dropped 88kg in the second attempt. She successfully lifted the same weight in her third attempt.
Chanu then surprisingly struggled in clean and jerk – her stronger suit – as she dropped 111kg on her first try before successfully lifting it.
She, however, failed to lift 114kg with her third clean and jerk attempt to finish fourth.
Chanu had lifted a total of 202kg – 87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk – to win the silver medal in Tokyo at the delayed Olympics in 2021.
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