Weightlifting at Tokyo Olympics: Mirabai Chanu targets gold this time, watch live

Indian weightlifting ace Mirabai Chanu will start as one of the favourites for a medal in the women’s 49kg category at the Tokyo Olympics.

The weightlifting competition gets underway on Saturday (July 24) and concludes on August 4. Mirabai Chanu, a former world champion, will be in action on the opening day. The medals will be decided on the same day.

Ranked fourth in the world, 26-year-old Mirabai Chanu is the second-best weightlifter in her field at Tokyo 2020. 

While Chinese lifters Hou Zhihui and Jiang Huihua are the world’s best, a country can field only one lifter per category. Hou Zhihui has made the cut.

And with the world No. 3 RI Song Gum of North Korea unable to compete following her country’s decision to pull out of the Games, Mirabai Chanu’s chances of winning an Olympic medal are strong.

“I don’t want silver in the Olympics, I want gold,” a determined Mirabai told PTI earlier this year. 

“I have to go beyond the Chinese lifter. They think that no one can lift more than them but I want to break that. I can fight with them.”

Mirabai’s confidence is backed by some solid performances coming into the Olympics. 

At the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April, Mirabai Chanu won a bronze medal with a total lift of 205kgs, a new national record. 

While her clean and jerk attempt of 119kgs was a world record, Mirabai’s effort of 86kg in snatch saw her drop down the order.

Her snatch lifts and the pressure of competing at the Olympics will be Mirabai Chanu’s biggest nemesis at Tokyo 2020. The Indian lifter had a disappointing outing at Rio 2016, where she failed to finish after registering fouls during her attempts. 

“I have changed a lot since the 2016 failure. I am mentally stronger and also working with a SAI psychologist,” Mirabai said in an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) earlier this year.

“I’ve changed my training in these five years. I have addressed each of my weaknesses. I have assessed which areas to work on, and now I am raring to go,” added Mirabai, who has been training in the USA for the last two months.

Apart from world record holder Hou Zhihui of China, other notable lifters in the field include the 2020 Pan American champion Jourdan Delacruz of the USA and the reigning world junior champion, Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics weightlifting schedule for Mirabai Chanu and live India start times

All times are in India Standard Times (IST)

July 24, Saturday

Women’s 49kg - 10:20 AM IST

Where to watch the Tokyo Olympics weightlifting live in India?

Live telecast of Tokyo Olympics weightlifting will be on the Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony Six and Sony SIX HD TV channels in India. Sony TEN 3, Sony TEN 3 HD, Sony TEN 4 and Sony TEN 4 HD will broadcast Tokyo 2020 in regional languages.

Live streaming of the Tokyo Olympics will be available on Sony Liv.

Broadcast subject to Sony Sports Network.