CHENNAI: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu fell short of a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics just by a kilogram. The Tokyo Games silver medallist was the favourite to add to her tally in the recently concluded quadrennial event but that was not to be. The loss might be heartbreaking but it failed to break the 30-year-old weightlifter's spirit.
Quickly moving on from the Paris defeat, Mirabai and head coach Vijay Sharma have set their eyes on upcoming events including the 2026 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Currently, on a much-needed break, the duo is expected to reunite in a couple of months to chalk out future roadmap.
"It's been years since I have taken a long break so I have taken one month's leave. Similarly, Mira is on a two-month break. I will spend time with my family while she also plans to make up for the lost time by being with her family in Manipur," Coach Sharma told this daily from his hometown Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
She finished fourth in the women's 49kg last week as she could not lift 114kg in her third and final clean and jerk attempt. Mirabai lifted a total of 199kg (88kg in snatch+111kg in C&J) at the South Paris Arena. It was 3kgs less than what she heaved at the Tokyo Olympics (202 kg) for a silver medal. Surodchana Khambao from Thailand bagged the bronze for her effort of 200kg (88 kg + 112 kg).
China's Hou Zhihui defended her title by smashing the clean-and-jerk Olympic record. She lifted an overall weight of 206kg (89kg + 117kg). Romanian Mihaela Cambei took home the silver with a total of 205kg (93kg + 112kg).
"I am not done yet. The same is true with Mirabai. The lifter might have taken a break but she will work on her fitness and strength. It will not be apt to talk about the next Olympics in 2028 but yes we will prepare for the 2026 CWG and Asian Games. Both of us want to win more medals for the country and we will continue our quest for it," added Sharma.
Mirabai had won a bagful of medals including gold in the 2017 World Championships and CWG (2018 and 2022) but the Asian Games medal is missing from her trophy cabinet. It might have spurred her on to continue in the same vein leaving behind the Olympic failure.
As she won't, Mirabai was not dejected despite the medal slipping away from her. "It was going good, whatever the coach said I did. It is just destiny that I did not get a medal, I did my best," she had said with a smile on her face. It looks like the former world champion will look to add another chapter to her glorious career when she returns to the weightlifting platform after a couple of months.
Apart from coaching his trainees at the national camp, Sharma intends to produce world-class lifters at his yet-to-be officially inaugurated academy in Modinagar. While he was away on national duty, the facility started functioning with around 30 lifters training at the place.
"It has been a dream to give top facilities to aspiring lifters and this academy will fulfill it. Although it has not been inaugurated yet but its been functional for a month now. It has all the facilities a weightlifting academy can offer including two coaches, a sauna and a steam bath. The equipment are world-class. My aim is to train lifters between the age group of eight and 11 as that is the perfect age to groom world beaters. But that doesn't mean I will not work with national campers. I hope to look after both jobs simultaneously," signed off the coach.