'Mainly focused on my weakness': Mirabai Chanu opens up on her CWG 2022 preparations
The star of India's 15-member weightlifting contingent, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (49kg) will be under immense pressure from an entire nation as she is expected to deliver at the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022. Scheduled to be held between July 28 and August 8 in Birmingham, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist is also the defending champion in her category and all eyes will be on Chanu, all the more because of her Tokyo 2020 performance. Speaking to Hindustan Times during a media interaction, Chanu revealed that since her performance in Tokyo, she has mainly been paying attention to her technique, mostly on her snatch as it is her 'weakness'.
"The training has been the same as before. Post-Olympics, I have mainly been paying attention to my technique only. Since returning I have mainly focused on my snatch, which is my weakness. So I have done a lot of work on that. Technique should be good then I can put in better performances. So there hasn't been much change in my training, I have mainly been focussing on my technique," she said.
After the Olympics, Chanu has only participated in one competition; the Singapore International Weightlifting event in February this year, where she won gold in the higher 55kg category. In Tokyo, Chanu's snatch weakness was visible as her best attempt was 87kg and at the Singapore International she lifted 86kg in the higher category.
She updated that her objective to cross the 90kg snatch barrier hasn't been 'touched yet' and her plan is to 'do it in the World Championships'. "I still haven't touched it but I am trying. I don't know in CWG, what I will do and what my sir will tell me", she said. "My plan is to do it in the World Championships."
Chanu's personal best in the women's 49kg stands at 207kg (88kg+119kg), 39kgs more than the second-best lifter in her CWG category. The weightlifter's nearest rival Stella Kingsley's (Nigeria) personal best is 168kg (72kg+96kg). She will need to perform two legal lifts, one each in the snatch and clean and jerk, to win her third CWG medal. Since her silver at the Tokyo Olympics, weightlifting as a sport has also garnered more interest in India. With a smile, she stated that she likes it when people ask her about the sport or when children recognise her.
"After the Olympics, I have been treated well and I have also got recognition. That has changed in my life. Earlier nobody knew about weightlifting and also I am from Manipur, people didn't know much about Northeast either," she said. "But after the Olympics, people recognise me and also ask about weightlifting. I like that. Small kids recognise and I really like that. It makes me happy that I did something for India, my family and state. That has changed, I like it and it is a big thing for me."
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