Mirabai Chanu finishes fifth in Asian Championship 2023

05/06/2023

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Mirabai Chanu ended a disappointing fifth in the Asian Championship 2023, as she faltered in the snatch category, while not making her last two attempts in the clean and jerk category on Friday. Chanu could only manage to lift 85 kg in snatch, and 109 kg in clean and jerk, taking her total to 194.

In the snatch category, she tried to lift 88 kg on the second attempt but failed. That meant that four lifters were above her, all over 90 kg. It is noteworthy that she has been trying to breach the 90 kg for quite some time now, but that has just been out of her reach.

The last time Chanu competed at the Asian Championships in 2021, she bagged a bronze medal and also made a world record in the clean and jerk (119 kg). Meanwhile, the coach defended her performance and said that the aim was to peak during the Asian Games.

As far as the current competition is concerned, China's Jiang Huihua won the gold medal with a total lift of 207kg (94kg+113kg). The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Hou Zhihui finished second as she lifted 204kg (93kg+111kg) while Thailand's Serodchana Khambao 200kg (90kg+110kg) bagged the bronze medal.

This Asian Championship also serves as the qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.