Mirabai Chanu has created a new world record in clean and jerk on her way to winning a bronze at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Chanu’s final clean and jerk weight was 119kg, breaking the earlier world record of 118kgs.
In snatch, Mirabai lifted 86 kgs on her third try, after failing on her first two, and thus finished third on the podium with a total weight of 205 kgs.
The former world champion’s cumulative mark of 205 is a personal best for her with her earlier best being 203kg (88kg & 115kg) from the Indian Nationals in February, 2020.
China’s Hou Zhihui and Jiang Huihua won the gold and silver medals with Hou creating a world record in snatch and finishing at 213 kg (96g & 117kg) while second-placed Jiang Huihua lifted 207kg (89kg & 118kg).
With her bronze here, Mirabai, a former Khel Ratna awardee, has also sealed her spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Also interestingly, with Asian lifters being the front-runners for a medal in the 49kg category, the result also will be a boost for Mirabai’s Tokyo Olympic hopes as only one Chinese lifter will be allowed to participate at the Olympics.
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