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The Print
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Print
My target is still 90kg, have tweaked my snatch technique: Mirabai Chanu
'My target is still 90kg. I will compete full strength at the (2026) Asian Games,' Chanu replied to a query by PTI on the sidelines of the opening of ASMITA Weightlifting League. Injuries had disrupted her previous Olympic cycle, and the former world champion hasn't competed since finishing fourth at the Paris Games. However, a recent tweak in technique has reignited belief that the long-cherished mark may finally be within reach. Modinagar (UP), Jul 8 (PTI) She has won nearly every accolade the sport has to offer, but Tokyo Olympics silver-medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu remains in relentless pursuit of one elusive milestone — the 90kg snatch lift. The diminutive Manipuri has been eyeing the 90kg mark since 2019. While she has managed to cross the barrier in training, replicating that success in competition has remained out of grasp even as several contemporaries have gone past the milestone. 'Before the 2026 Asian Games, I will try to give my best at the World Championships this year where we will also assess what all I have to do to get better in 48kg category.' 'All that we'll know at the World Championships. But plan is to cross 90kg in snatch. Even juniors have now crossed 90kg. Recently a junior from China lifted it,' she said. Tweaked snatch technique ================ At the Paris Olympics, Chanu's clean and jerk — her strong suit — let her down. She failed to lift 111kg on her first attempt and 114kg on her final, finishing just 1kg shy of a second podium spot at the Games. It was a rare off day in the clean and jerk, where she once held the world record with a 119kg lift. But Chanu draws heart from her snatch performance in Paris, where she equalled her personal best of 88kg. 'My snatch has improved. Earlier, I was not able to lift 88kg-89kg but I managed 88kg in the Olympics.' Chanu, along with India chief coach Vijay Sharma, has been working to improve her snatch, an area she admits has always been her Achilles' heel. 'Snatch is all technique. How to lift from the bottom and progress, how to control the back… all that is technique which I lack a little bit.' Snatch requires a blend of strength, speed, and precision, lifting the barbell from the floor to overhead in one explosive motion. 'The force from (sitting) down to (standing) up should be in sync, that has been my weakness since the beginning. We have made small tweaks. Like, how to move fast from the second pull and the hip thrust. I don't have that combination'. 'The technique can't be corrected instantaneously, we have to work on it also because my body is ageing, but moving fast and speed and combination can be done,' Chanu, who turns 31 in a month, explained. Coach Sharma remains optimistic. 'Watching the Commonwealth Championship trials has given me a lot of confidence. She was able to snatch 85kg easily so now I feel she will cross 90 easily.' Moving down to 48kg will be very difficult ========================== With new Olympic weight categories now in effect, Chanu has opted to move down from the 49kg division to 48kg, a challenge she admits won't be easy. 'To control my weight will be difficult. When I was competing in 49kg my weight used to be 48.5ish (during weigh in). I would keep my weight around 50.5kg (1.5kg) and train. 'So for 48kg, I will have to train at 49.5kg To control the weight is very tough for me,' said Chanu, whose natural body weight hovers around 50.5kg. Coach Sharma echoed the difficulty of this adjustment, saying the extra kilo after competing in 49kg for over five years will lead to loss of muscle. 'It is very difficult. She has been competing in one weight for the past seven years and for that too she has to lose two kgs. Now she has to lose one more… it will be very difficult. That 1kg will be difficult, that's muscle loss,' he said. Chanu's comeback event will be next month's Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad. PTI APA AM APA AM AM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Fit-again Mirabai Chanu finetunes technique on comeback trail
New Delhi: It's been almost a year since Mirabai Chanu finished an agonising fourth at the Paris Olympics. Beset with niggles and injuries for the better part of that Olympic cycle, Chanu exited the stage with a resigned smile and promise to return stronger. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will be in action at the Commonwealth championships in Ahmedabad next month. (Getty Images) 'Paris was very disappointing. I knew an aggregate of 200kg will surely win me a medal, and to miss the podium after coming so close did hurt,' the Tokyo Games silver medallist, who missed out on a second podium after lifting one kg less in 49kg, said on the sidelines of the two-day ASMITA weightlifting league in Modinagar on Tuesday. A three-month break followed after which Chanu went to St Louis, USA to consult Dr Aaron Horschig on a hip injury that had troubled her since the 2023 Asian Games. She also shifted base from NIS Patiala to national coach Vijay Sharma's academy, where she also mentors the trainees. Chanu will return to action at the Commonwealth championships in Ahmedabad next month (Aug 24-30), one of the three mandatory qualifiers for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It will offer the 30-year-old an opportunity to test her technique. She competed at the trials for the Commonwealth championships in Patiala last month and, in Sharma's assessment, 'performed beyond expectations'. 'I have been working on slight tweaks in my technique, particularly in snatch,' said Chanu, currently training at 70-80% of her load capacity. She has been trying to snatch 90kg for a few years now, but the technical work has almost always hit the injury roadblock. 'We did some technical work before Tokyo Olympics, but the rhythm was disrupted after repeated injuries in the Paris cycle,' said Sharma. 'However, we are confident she can snatch 90kg. She crossed that mark in training in the lead up to Paris. She would also lift 115-116kg in clean and jerk, so we were confident of a medal in Paris,' he added. At the Games, Chanu failed to go beyond 88kg in snatch and failed in her opening clean and jerk effort of 111kg. 'I had lifted much more in training but things didn't work out on the day that mattered. That hasn't dented my resolve. My goals are still the same,' she said. Snatching 90kg and winning an elusive Asian Games medal next year are among them. It will need some doing considering the challenge that Chinese and North Korean lifters present. Chanu is aware of the competition but is unfazed. 'Recently a junior lifter in China snatched 90kg, so I really need to hit that mark,' the double World Championships medallist said. 'Snatch is all technique while clean and jerk is more power based. How to lift and progress, how to control the back, execution of the second pull, all those aspects need technical refinement. These are little changes but over the years, the body develops muscle memory which is hard to let go.' Chanu is also working to add speed to her first pull – the motion where an athlete lifts the bar to her waist. 'The body should be in sync in that motion, but that has been my weakness since the start. We have added speed to the second pull and also on the hip thrust. The technique can't be corrected instantly. We have to work on it carefully because my body is ageing.' Weight management, in this Olympic cycle, too will be daunting. With the world body rejigging weight classes, Chanu has now moved to 48kg, a division in which she became world champion in 2017. 'Controlling weight will be difficult because my maintenance weight now has to be around 49.5kg. It looks just one kg from outside but requires a very close look at the training programme,' she said. Her training load is still the same – she was in 49kg earlier – but it has been broken up to ensure the body is not over exerted, Sharma said. 'We are peaking towards the World Championships in October and from there, the focus will shift towards the Asian Games,' Chanu said.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Mirabai Chanu's comeback trail: Change in snatch technique, challenge of ageing body, new weight category
It's been nearly a year since Mirabai Chanu stood on a weightlifting platform to compete after finishing fourth at last year's Paris Olympics in the 49kg category. The 2021 Tokyo Olympic medallist's previous Olympics cycle was affected by a recurring injury. She had also finished fourth at the 2022 Asian Games. However, after completing her rehabilitation and working on her technique in snatch, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist is ready for another shot at the elusive Asian Games medal. A podium finish at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is also a dream. 'I tried my best in Paris but due to inconsistent training and recurring injury, a medal was lost,' Mirabai Chanu told The Indian Express on the sidelines of the ASMITA Weightlifting league. Chanu lifted a total of 199 kg at the Paris Olympics finishing fourth and missing out on a bronze medal by one kilogram. While she did well in the snatch with 88kg, her attempt at 114 kg in clean and jerk failed. 'I will say my training is at 80 percent right now. I recently participated in the trials for the Commonwealth Weightlifting championships and my body is feeling great,' she added further. Chanu is known for her power in the clean and jerk section of weightlifting. She held the world record of 119kg till 2024. However, she has struggled in the snatch section. 'My snatch has improved. I did 88kg in Paris and my target remains to do 90 in the section,' she said. 'Snatch is all about technique. How to lift the bell from the bottom and then progress and how to control your body in the process. I lack a little bit of technique. My weakness from the start has been the force transfer from sitting down to standing up,' she explained. But after Paris, there have been slight tweaks in her technique, according to her long-time coach Vijay Sharma. 'Now she is moving fast while going up with more hip thrust and it has shown results. At the recent trials, she did 85 which I was not expecting,' Vijay said. Also with an ageing body, athletes can't change their technique instantly. 'My body is ageing now and I can't correct my technique instantly. But I think if I use the combination of second pull and hip thrust, 90 kg is achievable in snatch,' Chanu said. The coach knows change will take time. 'It is tough to break the pattern her body has been following for years now. Right now, our focus is the technical tweaks,' Vijay added. The International Weightlifting Federation has introduced new weight categories from June 2025 and Mirabai will be competing in the women's 48 kg category now after the 49 kg category was scrapped. Talking about maintaining weight for the new category, Chanu said, 'When I was in the 49 kg category, I would keep my weight around 50.5 kg to train and now I will have to keep it within 50 kg to train.' While it might look like an adjustment of just one kilogram, it can take a toll on the body. 'It's been seven years since Chanu has been competing in the same category and now she has cut down on her natural weight of 50kg further. We had options of going either to 53 kg or come down to 48, we chose the latter one as it suits her natural weight,' Vijay added. Chanu will be competing at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad this year which acts as the qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. After the CWC, she will prepare for the World Championships in October 2025. 'Both tournaments are important for us. The Commonwealth is an important tournament as I will start my season here and then we have the Worlds where I will be competing with the Chinese and North Koreans,' Chanu said. 'Eventually, my target is to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,' she added. Coach Vijay Sharma has planned gradual progression for Chanu this year and the plan is to improve the total lift event by event. 'What I saw at the trials was visually pleasing to the eyes as a coach. She is lifting well and especially in snatch. Our plan is to add more in the total lift with each tournament. I hope this time she remains injury-free and we have uninterrupted training,' he said.
News18
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Mirabai Chanu Still Targets 90kg, Having Worked Hard On Snatch Technique
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu aims for the elusive 90kg snatch lift. Despite setbacks, she plans to compete at full strength in the 2026 Asian Games. She has won nearly every accolade the sport has to offer, but Tokyo Olympics silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu remains in relentless pursuit of one elusive milestone: the 90kg snatch lift. Injuries disrupted her previous Olympic cycle, and the former world champion hasn't competed since finishing fourth at the Paris Games. However, a recent tweak in technique has reignited belief that the long-cherished mark may finally be within reach. 'My target is still 90kg. I will compete full strength at the (2026) Asian Games," Chanu responded to a query by PTI on the sidelines of the opening of ASMITA Weightlifting League. What Is Mirabai Chanu's Plan for Asian Games? The diminutive Manipuri has been aiming for the 90kg mark since 2019. Although she has managed to cross the barrier in training, replicating that success in competition has remained elusive, even as several contemporaries have surpassed the milestone. 'Before the 2026 Asian Games, I will try to give my best at the World Championships this year where we will also assess what all I have to do to get better in 48kg category." 'All that we'll know at the World Championships. But plan is to cross 90kg in snatch. Even juniors have now crossed 90kg. Recently a junior from China lifted it," she said. What About Olympics? At the Paris Olympics, Chanu's clean and jerk, her strong suit, let her down. She failed to lift 111kg on her first attempt and 114kg on her final, finishing just 1kg shy of a second podium spot at the Games. It was a rare off day in the clean and jerk, where she once held the world record with a 119kg lift. But Chanu draws heart from her snatch performance in Paris, where she equalled her personal best of 88kg. 'My snatch has improved. Earlier, I was not able to lift 88kg-89kg but I managed 88kg in the Olympics." Chanu, along with India chief coach Vijay Sharma, has been working to improve her snatch, an area she admits has always been her Achilles' heel. 'Snatch is all technique. How to lift from the bottom and progress, how to control the back… all that is technique which I lack a little bit." What Can Mirabai Chanu Improve? Snatch requires a blend of strength, speed, and precision, lifting the barbell from the floor to overhead in one explosive motion. 'The force from (sitting) down to (standing) up should be in sync, that has been my weakness since the beginning. We have made small tweaks. Like, how to move fast from the second pull and the hip thrust. I don't have that combination". 'The technique can't be corrected instantaneously, we have to work on it also because my body is ageing, but moving fast and speed and combination can be done," Chanu, who turns 31 in a month, explained. Coach Sharma remains optimistic. 'Watching the Commonwealth Championship trials has given me a lot of confidence. She was able to snatch 85kg easily so now I feel she will cross 90 easily." Mirabai Chanu Lowerig Weight Category? With new Olympic weight categories now in effect, Chanu has opted to move down from the 49kg division to 48kg, a challenge she admits won't be easy. 'To control my weight will be difficult. When I was competing in 49kg my weight used to be 48.5ish (during weigh in). I would keep my weight around 50.5kg (1.5kg) and train. 'So for 48kg, I will have to train at 49.5kg. To control the weight is very tough for me," said Chanu, whose natural body weight hovers around 50.5kg. Coach Sharma echoed the difficulty of this adjustment, saying the extra kilo after competing in 49kg for over five years will lead to muscle loss. 'It is very difficult. She has been competing in one weight for the past seven years and for that too she has to lose two kgs. Now she has to lose one more… it will be very difficult. That 1kg will be difficult, that's muscle loss," he said. Chanu's comeback event will be next month's Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Modinagar, India, India First Published:
