Why Mirabai Chanu won't be lifting weights at the upcoming World Championships?

In a bizarre development, Mirabai Chanu will be marking her appearance at the World Championships but she won’t be participating in weightlifting.

Although the World Championships is up next on the horizon, Mirabai Chanu has more important priorities in sight. The Asian Games medal continues to elude her and in order to keep herself fresh and avoid any potential injuries or setbacks, Chanu won’t be lifting weights at the World Championships. This comes as a precautionary measure for the 2017 world champion.

Instead of actively participating in the competition, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist will be attending the weigh-in for her 49 kg weight category.

The World Weightlifting Championships will get underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 4. The event is a qualifying event for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics which will be held next year. Meanwhile, the Asian Games, which is set to be the primary quest for the 29-year-old begins just 20 days later in Huangzhou, China.

“There is very less time between the Asian Games and the World Championships. Since there is compulsory participation at the World Championships, we have decided that Mirabai only travel to Riyadh and give the body weight.

“She will complete all the mandatory protocols like give the dope test, if required. But she will not lift any weight. She is only going there to participate,” head coach Vijay Sharma told news agency PTI.

Chanu has been drawn in Group D of the World Championships. Her entry weight is 60 kg.

She will be travelling to the weigh-in event in order to tick all the boxes necessary for qualification to the Olympics next year.

As per the qualification requirement for Summer Olympics, lifters are needed to compete at the Worlds and World Cup.

Even with Asian Games just days apart from World Weightlifting Championships, things are not going to be easy for the lifter who competes in the 49kg weight class.

“We are aiming to cross the 90kg mark (in snatch) at the Asian Games. It’s been a while since we have been trying to get over that line. We have been focussing on Mira’s snatch here in training,” Sharma said.

During the last tournament she participated in, the Asian Championships in May, she was forced to withdraw owing to a hip injury.

Preservation and precaution will be the primary concern heading into the Asian Games for her this year.

“We have to keep in mind Mira’s body as well. She is ageing, the chances of injuries increase with age. So we have to be careful with the workload.

“Currently, her body is well. Small niggles here and there keep happening but nothing serious,” Sharma said.

Besides the World Weightlifting Championships this year and 2024 World Cup, a lifter is also required to participate in three of the following events — the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships, the 2023 Grand Prix 1, the 2023 Grand Prix II and the 2024 Continental Championships.

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