Indian lifters aim at improving Olympic qualification ranking

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will once again spearhead the Indian challenge at the Asian Championships but she is unlikely to attempt the muchawaited 90kg snatch lift here on FridayThe twotime Commonwealth Games champion had won silver in her last outing at the World Championship in December with an overall effort of 200kg 87kg 113kgIt was far from her personal best of 207kg 88kg119kg and this time too the former world champion 49kg lifter is not expected to test her limitsAlso ReadSpotlight on Chopra as he competes for first time as Diamond League champion in Doha legMira only has to participate here We will take it easy head coach Vijay Sharma told PTIShe will just participate and lift 85kg snatch110kg clean and jerk totals that she can easily get Sharma addedThis means the wait for the coveted 90kg snatch lift could be longer Chanu who struggles with a back issue that affects her snatch has been trying to breach the 90kgmark since 2020But with the Olympics still a year to go and the Asian Games scheduled in September the Manipuri wants to peak at the right timeThe last time Chanu competed at the event in 2021 she made history by creating a new world record in the clean and jerk category which still standsWe will create world records in the Olympic year She was at her peak the last time she was here because Olympics were just around the corner The Paris Olympics is next year There is no point peaking nowWe have to take keep in mind her age also she is not a kid anymore her body needs to be taken care of more now Sharma said of the 28yearoldThe Indian will renew her rivalry with the Chinese duo of Jiang Huihua and Hou Zhihui who have the highest entry weights of 205kg each Zhihui is the reigning Olympic championChanu on the other hand has the second highest entry weight along with two other liftersIn the latest Olympic Qualification Ranking OQR Chanu is in the second spot behind HuihuaIt will also be the first time Jeremy Lalrinnunga 67kg and Achinta Sheuli 73kg compete in an event since winning the gold at the Commonwealth Games last AugustWhile Jeremy had been nursing a thigh injury Achinta had to withdraw from the World Championships in December at the last minute after he pulled his hamstring during the warm upsThe duo will aim to collect the required ranking points to qualify for the Paris OlympicsJeremy will continue to compete in nonOlympic 67kg weight class The Aizawl lifter was supposed to bulk up to the 73kg Olympic weight class but has decided to wait till after the Asian Games in SeptemberTill the Asian Games he will remain in this 67kg category after that we will change it Sharma saidCommonwealth Games silver medallist Bindyarani Devi has also moved back from 59kg to 55kgThe 24yearold had finished 25th at the Worlds in the 59kg Olympic weight class However an injury before the selection trials has forced her to move back to her original weight divisionReigning national champions Shubham Todkar 61kg and Narayana Ajith will be making their international debutsThe Asian Championship is the qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics where weightlifting events will be cut from 14 at Tokyo Games to 10However it is an additional event and not a compulsory oneUnder the 2024 Olympic qualification rule a lifter has to compulsorily compete in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World CupApart from the two the lifter also has to participate in three of the events from among the 2022 World Championships 2023 Continental Championships 2023 Grand Prix 1 2023 Grand Prix II and 2024 Continental ChampionshipsIndian SquadMirabai Chanu 49kg Bindyarani Devi 55kg Shubham Todkar 61kg Jeremy Lalrinnunga 67kg Achinta Sheuli 73kg Narayana Ajith 73kgThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever