India’s Olympic silver medalist Mirabai Chanu could get her medal upgraded. This after reports that China’s gold medal winner Hou Zhihui is being tested by the anti-doping authorities. If Zhihui fails the test, it will be a historic moment for Mirabai, who will be the first women to ever win a Gold medal in weightlifting for India.
“She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening,” the source told ANI. Zhihui had lifted a total of 210 Kg to bag gold. Mirabai had lifted a total of 202 Kg to bag silver. As per the rules, if a medalist fails a doping test, the athlete who finished below them would replace them in the medal position. Mirabai Chanu, hailing from a modest background in Manipur’s Imphal opened India’s medal count on the first day of the quadrennial event in the 49 kg category. The 26-year-old weightlifter bagged a silver medal after successfully lifting 84Kg & 87Kg but couldn’t better her own best of 88 Kg as she failed in the snatch attempt of lifting 89Kg. China’s Zhihui Hou created a new Olympic Record while Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah grabbed bronze with a total of 194kg.
With this monumental silver medal, Chanu became the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari bagged bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Sydney Games when the weightlifting arena was opened to women for the first time.
