How Mirabai Chanu missed out on a medal by 1 kg at Paris Olympics 2024

New Delhi: The margins are fine in sports and even finer at the Olympics. Medals are decided by a few grams, inches or seconds here and there. India learnt it the hard way on Wednesday, July 07 after losing out on two medals by a whisker. While the nation is yet to recover from the shock of Vinesh Phogat missing out on an elusive gold medal due to being 100 grams overweight, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu missed out on a medal in Paris by just a kilogram.

Yes, 1 kg. That was the difference as Mirabai failed to finish on the podium in Paris in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event. It was yet another heartbreak for the Indian contingent on the day after Vinesh’s disqualification saw her miss out on an assured medal ahead of her final. Mirabai lifted 199 kg to finish 4th, and the bronze medal went to Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, who lifted 200 kg.

How 1 kg cost Mirabai Chanu a medal

Mirabai started well in snatch as she lifted 85 kg successfully in her first attempt. She tried lifting 87 kg on her second attempt but failed. But she managed to lift 88 kg in her third and final attempt, putting her in contention for a medal. Surodchana, who took the bronze medal, also managed 88 kg in the snatch round.

It was in the clean and jerk round that Chanu fell behind Surodchana. While Chanu’s best lift was 111 kg in clean and jerk, the Thai weightlifter lifted 112 kg successfully to pip the Indian and grab the third spot on the points table.

China’s Zhihui Hou broke the Olympic record to win the gold medal in the women’s 49kg category. Zhihui lifted 89kg in the snatch round and followed it up with an impressive lift of 117kg in clean and jerk to finish with a total score of 206 points and clinch the gold medal. Romania’s Mihaela Cambei won the silver medal with a total of 205kg. She lifted 93 kg in snatch and 112 kg in clean and jerk.

Mirabai was bidding to become the first Indian weightlifter to win two Olympic medals having won a silver medal at the Tokyo Games. However, she ended up missing out closely as India’s medal drought continued at the Paris Olympics. India have so far managed only three bronze medals at the Paris Games, and all of them have come from shooting.

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 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 by just 1 kg in the women’s 49kg category. Chanu was looking to win her second Olympic medal in Paris.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today