How did Mirabai Chanu perform at Tokyo Olympics? A detailed look at the Indian weightlifter's performance at the previous Olympic Games

Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu delivered a powerful performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her efforts helped her clinch the silver medal in the 49 kg division with a total lift of 202 kg. Chanu's silver was India's first medal at the event.

Chanu made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, where she failed to win in clean and jerk. However, she didn't lose hope and once again carried India's medal aspirations to Tokyo, Japan. This time, she delivered at the biggest stage by winner a silver medal.

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics approached, the 49kg weightlifting category was dominated by Chinese athletes, who held the top two rankings worldwide. However, due to Olympic regulations that permit only one competitor per country in each weight class, Mirabai Chanu's prospects for winning a medal received a significant boost.

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A deeper look at Mirabai Chanu's performance in Tokyo Olympics

Mirabai Chanu delivered a commendable performance in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category at the Tokyo Olympics. She began the snatch event with an 84kg lift and successfully improved it to 87kg.

However, her efforts were overshadowed by China's Hou Zhihui, who lifted 94kg, setting a new Olympic record. Chanu attempted to lift 89kg in her final snatch but fell short.

In the clean and jerk round, Chanu started strong with a 110kg lift, which she further improved to 115kg in her second attempt.

Despite this, Hou Zhihui continued her dominance, lifting 116kg and securing an overall Olympic record total of 210kg. Chanu's last attempt to lift 117kg was unsuccessful, and even if she had succeeded, it would not have been enough to surpass Zhihui.

Notably, the 29-year-old's silver medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics made her the first Indian weightlifter to achieve such a feat at the prestigious event.

She is only the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal, and also the second Indian woman after ace badminton player P. V. Sindhu to secure a silver medal at the Olympics.