India's silver medallist from Tokyo Olympics Mirabai Chanu's dream of clinching a second successive Olympic medal was dashed as she finished fourth in the women's 49kg event on Wednesday.
She could manage only three lifts out of six attempts and had only one successful lift in the clean and jerk section. The former world champion's failure to lift 114kg in her final clean and jerk attempt cost her dearly.
Mirabai told reporters that she was managing 85 in practice and she did it in the competition too. She said she was confident about clean and jerk also.
She turns 30 on Thursday (today). Had she succeeded she would have bagged the bronze medal.
"I am happy with the performance... I tried my best to give my 100 to give India a medal. I managed this despite having very little time for recovery after my injury... but it was not in destiny. It was the third day of my periods and in Tokyo it was my second day, so that also affects your body a bit," Mirabai told reporters.
She said she the strategy was devised by her coach and she just followed the plan.
"It was going good, whatever the coach said I did. It is just destiny that I did not get medal, I did my best," she said, smiling.
She lifted a total of 199kg (88kg+111kg) at the South Paris Arena. It was 3kgs less than what she heaved at the Tokyo Olympics (202 kg) for a silver medal.
China's Hou Zhihui smashed the clean and jerk Olympic record as she successfully defended her title with an effort of 206kg (89kg+117kg).
Romanian Mihaela Cambei took home the silver with total of 205kg (93kg+112kg) while Surodchana Khambao bagged the bronze for her effort of 200kg (88kg+112kg).
Wearing the gold earrings shaped like Olympic rings presented by her mother ahead of the Rio Games, Mirabai began with a modest 85kg on the barbells, which she smoothly lifted.
Having reached the Paris Games on the back of an injury-plagued Olympic cycle, Mirabai did will to keep herself in the mix after the snatch section, which is her Achilles heel.
However to her disbelief, she fluffed her second lift while attempting to equal her personal best of 88kg.
But the former world champion put herself in the mix as she successfully snatched 88kg in her final attempt.
Cambei led the proceedings after the snatch section as she lifted 93kg in her final attempt while Zhihui who could manage only two legal lifts was 4 kgs behind the Romanian at 89kg.
Mirabai was off to a shaky start in the clean and jerk. The Indian was last to take her first attempt. While she cleaned 111kg, the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist was unable to execute the second part.
She immediately made a second attempt at the same weight and much to her and the Indian coaches relief she lifted the barbell.
But things went awry for the Manipuri as she failed her final attempt of 114kg, 5kg less than her personal best in clean and jerk.
(With PTI inputs)
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