Her joyful smile wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes following her failure in Rio five years ago.
Mirabai Chanu won silver in the 49kg category, ending India’s 21-year wait for an Olympic weightlifting medal, and her joyful smile wiped away all the tears that welled up in her eyes following her failure in Rio five years ago. She has carved her name in golden letters in Indian sports history by showcasing the strength of Indian women around the world.
Mirabai Chanu said after winning the medal in Tokyo that her failure in Rio pushed her to work hard, and the result is in front of everyone. Chanu also stated that she has been out of her house for the past five years and has only spent five days with her family. She wants to take rice from her mother’s hand now that she has won a silver medal in Tokyo.
Mirabai Chanu lifted 87 kilograms in the snatch and 115 kg in the clean and jerk. She was awarded the silver medal after lifting a total of 202 kilograms. China’s Hou Zhihui won gold with a total weight of 210 kg, while Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah took bronze with a total weight of 194 kg.
Mirabai Chanu is only the second weightlifter to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting. Karnam Malleswari had previously won a bronze medal in weightlifting for India at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Mirabai could not lift a single weight in the clean and jerk in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but by working hard in recent years, she has helped millions of Indians realise their dreams.
Meerabai, a Manipur native, stated that her ambition was to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and that she worked hard to achieve her goal. “I’ve worked hard and suffered for this, and I’ve made a lot of sacrifices,’ she said. My goal for the Tokyo Olympics was to earn a medal. It’s like a dream come true for me.” Mirabai was also congratulated on her victory by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mirabai Chanu believes that winning a medal in Tokyo will inspire more young women to try weightlifting. “This medal of mine will attract girls to this sport,” she said. “I want girls to participate in sports to the fullest extent possible. Girls can make a name for themselves not only in the classroom, but also in sports. Girls have a lot of power, and by winning medals, they can make their country proud,” she said.