"It's going to be God's wish on that day in Paris" - Mirabai Chanu ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
After winning the historic silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Mirabai Chanu not only got herself the international limelight again but also succumbed to injuries. This time out, at the Paris Olympics 2024, she will once again represent India in weightlifting, to be more precise in the 49kg discipline.
Undoubtedly, success at the Summer Games will depend on how far she can keep herself from injuries, since this time the competition in the 49kg discipline will be tougher than the previous Olympics. Moreover, she also needs to focus on some technicalities.
In an interaction with SAI media at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala, Mirabai Chanu expressed how she wants to overcome the upcoming challenge but at the same time believes that even after enormous hard work, an athlete can fail.
“After the Asian Games injury, the World Cup was my first competition. I was certainly apprehensive about picking up another injury. I didn’t want to spoil my Paris chances. So, yes, that injury fear was there. For me, injury management and staying stress free will be important. I have to do the things that helped me recover," she said.
"Injuries and pain are companions for us. You never know when they will strike. We have to conquer them and Paris Olympics will tell me how well I have managed these aspects of the sport," she added.
Mirabai Chanu also shed light on how she is training and can't skip the same for a single day.
"Weightlifting is a sum of many parts. Lot of gym exercises are required as every body part plays it role. Certain muscles like the back, knee and shoulder have to be in perfect condition. Muscle strength matters a lot to lift weights over 200 kgs (that’s four times Mirabai’s body weight)," she said.
"And more importantly, I can’t skip training. If I leave training for a day, it will take a week for me to recover and bring my muscles to perfect state," she added.
“If there is no strength or endurance, one can’t lift weights. It’s a tough process and one can’t afford to relax. Let’s say to lift 85 kg in snatch, one has to lift 50 kgs at least 100 times and then gradually scale up," she further stated.
Although the two-time Olympian is training hard, she knows that even the best of preparations can fail to yield something positive. She spoke about the same:
“For any weightlifter to take part in two Olympics is a big thing. To compete at the world level is tough. Like Tokyo, I will again count on the prayers of all Indians and of course, it’s going to be God’s wish on that day in Paris. It will be a dream for me and my family to win a second Olympic medal but I also know that even the best of preparation can fail. So, let’s hope for the best."
Mirabai Chanu eyeing second Olympic medal
Notably, Mirabai Chanu will now take part in what will be her third Olympics campaign. Back in 2016, she didn't enjoy a noteworthy campaign at the Rio Olympics. The Tokyo edition fetched her silver after a gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Chanu, who is a recipient of the Padma Shri Award, had suffered a hip injury at the Hangzhou Asian Games. It sidelined her for five months. Such an injury forced her to be choosy with the competitions. Notably in 2024, Chanu has participated in only one competition, and that is the World Cup.
When she begins her campaign next month in Paris, she will expect the fans' prayers to be answered. India have never won a gold in weightlifting at the Summer Games. If Chanu secures the same, it will not only be history in the making, but it will also write a chapter of a heroic comeback.