Former world champion Mirabai Chanu will be India’s only lifter at the Tokyo Olympics next month, as per the absolute ranking list announced by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Mirabai is second in the women’s 49kg category.
At the Asian weightlifting championships in Tashkent in April, Mirabai Chanu confirmed her Tokyo 2020 place after completing the criteria of participating in at least six eligible events, starting November 1, 2018.
The Asian meet in Uzbekistan saw the 26-year-old Mirabai set a new world record in the clean and jerk segment with a lift of 119kgs. However, a below-par show in snatch meant Mirabai Chanu had to settle for a bronze medal at the Asian weightlifting event.
At the Summer Games, former world champion Hou Zhihui of China will be Mirabai Chanu’s main competitor along with the reigning world junior gold medallist, Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah.
