CHENNAI : Even as Mirabai Chanu (49kg) on Saturday became the only Indian weightlifter to qualify for the Olympics after securing the second spot in her weight category with 4133,6172 points, her compatriot, Jeremy Lalrinnunga (67kg), missed the flight to Tokyo by a small margin.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) published the final Absolute Ranking lists late on Friday night and intimated the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) about the allocated quota places. The 18-year-old Jeremy (3172,1676 points, 12th place) was in line to get the continental quota, which eventually went to South Korean lifter Han Myeongmok (3357,4830), who was ranked a place higher to him in 67kg.
Now, the only source of hope for the Mizoram lifter is the conclusion of the anti-doping result management processes, which might open up an Olympic slot for him, but Jeremy has already set his sights on the next target. “I am not disappointed (for not earning an Olympic quota). I did my best but the efforts didn’t prove enough,” the 2018 Youth Olympics champion told this daily from NIS Patiala, where he is serving a mandatory quarantine. He, along with fellow lifter Achinta Sheuli, returned to the country on June 1 after competing in the IWF Junior World Championships held in Uzbekistan last month.
“My next target is the 2022 Commonwealth Games. For that, I have to give my best in the upcoming Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Championships scheduled in Singapore in October. It’s a qualifying event for Birmingham CWG,” said Jeremy. He sustained a knee injury during the Asian Championships held in Uzbekistan in April this year. The injury seemingly affected his performance in the Junior Worlds, where he failed to secure cru cial ranking points, thus falling behind his competitor from South Korea.
“I am still recovering from the injury. It’s getting better. At the moment, I am strengthening my core muscles. Once I complete the quarantine period, I will start preparations in full swing for the Commonwealth Championships.”
With age by his side, Jeremy is confident of competing in the 2024 Olympics. “I will try to make the cut for the 2024 Games via world rankings. But before that, several other important events are lined up and I wish to give my best in them,” he said.