Mirabai Chanu Qualifies for the Paris Olympics 2024, the Only Indian Weightlifter to Do So

Summary: Manipur’s Mirabai Chanu becomes the only Indian weightlifter to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

As the sole weightlifter from India to qualify for the popular tournament, Manipur's Mirabai Chanu, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, has secured her spot at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Mirabai reportedly qualified following a stellar performance at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, where she finished third in the women's 49kg division of group B. 

After being forced to take a six-month break due to injury, Mirabai returned to competition, but she was far from her best. She finished third with a total of 184 kg, with a best lift of 81 kg in the snatch and a successful attempt at 113 kg in the clean and jerk. Mirabai won silver in Tokyo by lifting 202 kg (87 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk). Her personal bests are 88 kg in snatch and 119 kg in clean and jerk.

"The journey it took to get here required relentless devotion and hard work, and I couldn't be happier to be back on the ramp—lifting and competing for my nation.," Mirabai said in an interview following the event.

North Korean weightlifters did not pose a threat to Mirabai in Tokyo, but in Paris, she will face off with elite competitors like Chinese lifters Jiang Huihua and Hou Zhihui, in addition to North Korean Ri Song Gum, who holds the world record with an incredible total lift of 221 kg. 

In addition to competing at the 2022 World Championship, 2023 Asian Championships, 2024 World Cup, and registering for the 2023 Worlds and Grand Prix II, she finished all the requirements but did not compete. She was able to qualify for the Paris Games as a result, and as of now, she ranks second in the Olympic Qualification Rankings.