Karnam Malleswari : Weightlifter

Only the lack of a woman’s category prevented the middle-class Telugu from takinga shot in Atlanta, but big things are predicted for the medium-built weightlifter if theevent is introduced at the next Olympics. "Weightlifting is a synchronisation ofmental powers and physical strength," says Malleswari. And, of the former—aprerequisite of every champion—she already shows much evidence. She missed a gold atthe Asiad, she says, because of her own follies.