“She is a fighter and wants to do well” - Coach Vijay Sharma on Mirabai Chanu’s comeback from injury to compete at Paris Olympics 2024 [Exclusive]
Mirabai Chanu is gearing up for her women’s 49kg weightlifting event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 7. Chanu, a beacon of Indian weightlifting, has a remarkable track record that includes a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Since then, she has continued to shine, winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and securing a silver at the 2022 IWF World Championships.
Her journey to Paris, however, hasn't been without challenges. A hip injury at the 2023 Asian Games sidelined her for several months, raising concerns about her preparations for the Olympics. Despite this setback, Mirabai Chanu made a comeback at the IWF World Cup in Qatar, securing her spot for the Paris Games.
She was ranked second in the Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR) and is poised to make a significant impact at the Paris Olympics 2024, even though the competition, particularly from China’s Hou Zhihui, is intense.
To gain deeper insights into Mirabai Chanu’s preparation and mindset ahead of her crucial event, we at Sportskeeda spoke exclusively with her coach, Vijay Sharma. Here are excerpts from our exclusive interview with him:
Q. How is it like coaching such a generational talent?
Vijay: It’s great! Talent is there of course, but in addition to that, and more importantly, the discipline, work ethic, and commitment Mirabai Chanu has is something all sportspersons should learn from.
Q. You have seen Mirabai Chanu evolve into the person she is today. Was there any one particular turning point in her life?
Vijay: I think the loss in Rio 2016 was a big lesson for both of us. That loss was tough to digest and it taught us a lot. Mira became world champion the following year in 2017. So, that loss in Rio could be looked at as a turning point.
Q. Now that she’s experienced and has won so many medals, what do you coach her on? What adjustments are being made to her game ahead of Paris?
Vijay: Broadly, we are working on the same things, just trying to improve further. She has an experience of two Olympic appearnaces, so she knows what it takes.
Q. How tough was it for her to recover mentally from her injury?
Vijay: Injuries are always tough to come back from, especially if they happen so close to the Olympics. It was tough for her, obviously, but she is a fighter and wants to do well, so the comeback also happened. There is a great team working with her, so that helps.
Q. Is she back to her 100% ahead of the Olympics?
Vijay: Yes, and raring to perform.