Mirabai Chanu targets 90kg snatch over beating Chinese

In December, when weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won her second World Championships medal braving a dodgy left wrist, she turned a corner in her storied career. The silver won in Bogota was the first instance of Chanu beating a Chinese lifter in competition. The 49kg Tokyo Olympics silver medallist has now set her sights on breaching the 90kg mark in snatch at the Asian Championships that begin in Jinju, South Korea on Wednesday.

Chanu last competed in the continental championships in 2020 when she won bronze in Tashkent, behind China’s Hou Zhihui and Jiang Huihua. Hou went on to win the Olympic gold while Jiang claimed her third World Championships gold at Bogota in December, where Chanu pushed Hou to third. The Jinju meet is a Paris Olympics qualifier and this three-way contest becomes one of the most exciting storylines to follow in the sport.

“Lifting 90kg in snatch is certainly a goal. I have come close to it for a few years now and it would be great if that happens at the Asian Championships,” Chanu said.

Chanu’s career-best snatch stands at 88kg, which she has achieved twice – at the national championships in Kolkata in 2020 and at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year. Her best result in clean and jerk is the world record 119kg she lifted at the 2020 Asian Championships.

“My goal will be to lift a total of 200 kg. That will put me in medal position. Ideally, I would like to lift 90kg in snatch and go past my world record in clean and jerk.

“The 90 kg barrier has been bothering me for a while and I would like to get it done. But in a sport like weightlifting, a lot depends on how your body is behaving on that particular day.”

And Chanu’s body is in perennial repair mode. In the five months since her last competition, Chanu has constantly been in rehabilitation for left wrist and left shoulder injuries.

“The problem is with my left shoulder. It is weaker than my right shoulder and to compensate for that my left wrist has to work a lot. That is what injures the wrist,” she said, referring to her injury at the Worlds.

Dr Aaron Horschig, the US-based weightlifter turned strength-and-conditioning expert, has been central to Chanu’s injury rehabilitation. The two had several virtual sessions over the past few months. In February, one of Horschig’s students arrived at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala to constantly monitor Chanu’s rehab.

“A weightlifter's body will always have some niggles but Dr Horschig has helped me unlock my true potential. He was instrumental in my success at the Olympics when he cured the pain in my left shoulder and the right corner of my back. He relies on exercises for pain relief, which is a method I like,” the 28-year-old explained.

Even with a fully fit body, there is no guarantee of lifting 90 kg.

“That’s because everyone has a different body and a different technique. People may feel that if I can lift 88kg, I might as well lift 90kg, but 1 kg makes a world of difference in our sport. Olympic medals are won or lost because of 1kg,” said Chanu, who has been snatching 89 kg in training. The current snatch world record – 96kg – was set by Hu at the Tashkent Asian meet in April, 2021.

While beating the Chinese was never a mental block, it does boost Chanu’s confidence going into the championships. “I always knew they could be beaten, but you don’t truly believe something until it is done. For me, more than the Chinese, focus will be on meeting my goals.”

“There are no guarantees in this sport. Just because I did well last time doesn’t mean I can repeat it. The best way to approach the competition is to think of what you want to achieve. For me, snatching 90kg is definitely a goal. I have worked on my speed and endurance. I lift 80-85% of my capacity in training each day, which means I am peaking well for the contest. God willing, that 90kg box will be ticked soon.”

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