She has won nearly every accolade the sport has to offer, but Tokyo Olympics silver-medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu remains in relentless pursuit of one elusive milestone — the 90kg snatch lift.
Injuries had disrupted her previous Olympic cycle, and the former world champion hasn't competed since finishing fourth at the Paris Games. However, a recent tweak in technique has reignited belief that the long-cherished mark may finally be within reach.
"My target is still 90kg. I will compete full strength at the (2026) Asian Games," Chanu replied to a query by PTI on the sidelines of the opening of ASMITA Weightlifting League.
The diminutive Manipuri has been eyeing the 90kg mark since 2019. While she has managed to cross the barrier in training, replicating that success in competition has remained out of grasp even as several contemporaries have gone past the milestone.
"Before the 2026 Asian Games, I will try to give my best at the World Championships this year where we will also assess what all I have to do to get better in 48kg category."
"All that we'll know at the World Championships. But plan is to cross 90kg in snatch. Even juniors have now crossed 90kg. Recently a junior from China lifted it," she said.
Tweaked snatch technique
At the Paris Olympics, Chanu's clean and jerk -- her strong suit -- let her down. She failed to lift 111kg on her first attempt and 114kg on her final, finishing just 1kg shy of a second podium spot at the Games.
It was a rare off day in the clean and jerk, where she once held the world record with a 119kg lift. But Chanu draws heart from her snatch performance in Paris, where she equalled her personal best of 88kg.
"My snatch has improved. Earlier, I was not able to lift 88kg-89kg but I managed 88kg in the Olympics." Chanu, along with India chief coach Vijay Sharma, has been working to improve her snatch, an area she admits has always been her Achilles' heel.
"Snatch is all technique. How to lift from the bottom and progress, how to control the back... all that is technique which I lack a little bit." Snatch requires a blend of strength, speed, and precision, lifting the barbell from the floor to overhead in one explosive motion.
"The force from (sitting) down to (standing) up should be in sync, that has been my weakness since the beginning. We have made small tweaks. Like, how to move fast from the second pull and the hip thrust. I don't have that combination".
"The technique can't be corrected instantaneously, we have to work on it also because my body is ageing, but moving fast and speed and combination can be done," Chanu, who turns 31 in a month, explained.
Coach Sharma remains optimistic. "Watching the Commonwealth Championship trials has given me a lot of confidence. She was able to snatch 85kg easily so now I feel she will cross 90 easily."
Moving down to 48kg will be very difficult
With new Olympic weight categories now in effect, Chanu has opted to move down from the 49kg division to 48kg, a challenge she admits won't be easy.
"To control my weight will be difficult. When I was competing in 49kg my weight used to be 48.5ish (during weigh in). I would keep my weight around 50.5kg (1.5kg) and train.
"So for 48kg, I will have to train at 49.5kg To control the weight is very tough for me," said Chanu, whose natural body weight hovers around 50.5kg.
Coach Sharma echoed the difficulty of this adjustment, saying the extra kilo after competing in 49kg for over five years will lead to loss of muscle.
"It is very difficult. She has been competing in one weight for the past seven years and for that too she has to lose two kgs. Now she has to lose one more... it will be very difficult. That 1kg will be difficult, that's muscle loss," he said.
Chanu's comeback event will be next month's Commonwealth Championships in Ahmedabad.
