Mirabai Chanu, an Olympic silver medalist, won silver at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Colombia after defeating China’s Tokyo 2020 champion Hou Zhihua.
Mirabai lifted a total of 200 kg (87kg in snatch and 113kg in clean and jerk), while Zhihua lifted 198 kg (89kg in snatch and 109 kg in clean and jerk). Meanwhile, China’s Jiang Huihua won gold with a combined weight of 206 kg (93kg plus 113kg).
Mirabai’s second World Championships medal, having previously won gold in 2017 with a lift of 194 kg (85 kg plus 109 kg).
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Mirabai, the star Indian weightlifter who recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022, got off to a slow start, lifting 85 kg in snatch. The 28-year-old failed her second attempt (87 kg) before successfully completing her third (87 kg). Mirabai then struggled in her second clean and jerk attempt, but she recovered in time to finish with a combined total of 113 kg and a clean and jerk match with Jiang.
Heartiest congratulations to pride of the North East and Olympic medallist @mirabai_chanu on winning Silver Medal at World Championship in Bogota, Colombia, with a total lift of 200kg.
Wish you many more such victories. Keep shining forever 💐✨ pic.twitter.com/w9XuN3fvPX
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 7, 2022
Nina Sterckx of Belgium, a two-time European bronze medalist in 55kg, and Mihaela Cambei of Romania, a Romanian European bronze medalist, both failed in their second and third clean and jerk attempts.
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Meanwhile, Olympic champion Hou Zhihua appeared to be struggling, lifting less than her world record personal best of 96 kg in snatch and national record personal best of 118 kg in clean and jerk. Surprisingly, Mirabai of India holds the world record at 119 kg).
Chanu, the 2017 world champion, injured her wrist during a September training session. With the injury, she had also competed in the National Games in October.