Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will be the only Indian weightlifter at the Tokyo Olympics next month after securing the second spot in the Absolute Rankings. Mirabai Chanu is placed second in the 49kg category on the ranking list issued by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Saturday.
The former world champion was earlier ranked fourth but North Korea’s withdrawal from Tokyo Olympics sent Mirabai Chanu to second place. This will be Mirabai Chanu’s second Olympics after the 2016 Rio Games.
One of the biggest medal hopes for India, Mirabai Chanu has been in form this year when she broke the world record in clean and jerk to win the bronze medal at Asian Weightlifting Championships. Mirabai Chanu lifted 86kg in snatch and a world record of 119kg in clean and jerk for a total of 205kg to set a new world record.
As per rules of the IWF, top eight lifters in each of the 14 weight categories, including seven in the women’s group, are eligible to compete in Tokyo Olympics. In men’s 67 kg category, India’s teenage Jeremy Lalrinnunga is ranked 12th and failed to get continental berth for the Tokyo Olympics.
