Maybe the day to forget Indian athletes in Tokyo on Monday, but at home, memories are being made.
Happy scenes played at Indira Gandhi International Airport the capital on Monday as Mirabai Chanu’s weightlifting landed from Tokyo, a precious silver medal in the bag and his face behind the mask and face shield.
Between smiles and those who constantly waved into the crowd, airport staff and fellow travelers, weightlifting and his team expressed the pain accompanying the performance of his medal, how the stomach cramps night before the competition almost threw away the balance and preparation completely.
When landing, Mirabai underwent a required RT-PCR test for Covid-19.
Before he was escorted from the arrival of the security personnel, the weightlifting champion was flanked by the head of the National coach Vijay Sharma, sitting for short media interactions.
They talked about painful nights, could not sleep which almost excites the month of preparation, and how the ‘plan B’ must be planned quickly.
Everything goes without obstacles, expressing Sharma.
Until Friday afternoon, the day before the competition, Mirabai looked felt-fettle, lifting a good burden during the training session.
However, then, he developed menstrual cramps, forcing coach staff to fully leave their plans and revisit their weightlifting strategies for that day.
“Our preparation was solid, but the day before his final, he found this cramping in the lower abdomen.
We did not expect this,” he said.
Mirabai, on his side, said, “I tense and told the master coach about it.
I wonder why it’s happening now, so close to my medal match? There are doubts in my mind because your body starts to react different.
But I remain Focus and stop thinking about it later.
He added, “As athletes, we often face such problems and we know how to handle it.” Sharma said, “There was tension at night before his medal.
We are both under extraordinary pressure.
We change our strategy for the final, because there is no point in taking risks.
“We always target gold and Mirabai sure about achieving Mark.
But all of these problems produce Mirabai’s performance took a hit during the final.
He missed the two lifts (one at Snatch, 89kg and one in clean and jerk, 117kg), which he should have completed.
We can provide Chinese lifter (finally Hou Zhihui gold winner) a better battle.
“Not a new thing for women’s athletes to experience interrupted menstrual cycles because of anxiety, heavy workload or intense training sessions.
This has happened before to Mirabai too, the day before his ridicule at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He put it behind him and won sensational gold in a woman’s 48kg category.
In Tokyo, Mirabai took silver which raised a total of 202 kg, 87 kg in seizing and 115 kg clean and jerk.
Hu Zhihui gold winner won gold by raising a total of 210 kg, setting a new Olympic record in both snatches (94kg) and clean and jerk (116kg).
Windy Cantika Aisah Indonesia settled for silver with a total elevator of 194 kg.
While describing the whole experience of his Olympics as “unforgettable”, Mirabai praised the Indian Swift Decision Authority (SAI) to arrange travel exposure to the US within 24 hours before the flight ban was put in.
He went to St.
Louis in the US to work with the strength and coach of the famous Ponditioning Dr.
Aaron Horschig ahead of the Olympics at a cost of Rs 70 Lakh.