Mirabai Chanu ends Asian Games medal wait with silver
Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu finally ended her wait for an Asian Games medal, winning silver in the women's 49kg event here on Wednesday.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist totalled 198kg, lifting 87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk to secure India's first Asian Games weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari's bronze in 1998.
The Asian Games silver completes Chanu's medal collection, adding to her Olympic silver, three World Championship medals including a gold, multiple Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championships titles, and an Asian Championships bronze.
Two-time world champion Ri Song Gum of North Korea lived up to expectations to win gold with a record-breaking total of 215kg, comprising 94kg in the snatch and 121kg in the clean and jerk. The victory gave her a hat-trick of Asian Games titles.
Chanu opened with 83kg in the snatch and then successfully lifted 85kg and 87kg with her next two attempts, finishing the first half of the competition in third place.
She then produced a best lift of 111kg in the clean and jerk to move into medal contention and finally claim an Asian Games medal after two previous near-misses.
