Nagoya: Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu finally completed her medal collection, winning the elusive Asian Games silver in the women’s 49kg event in Nagoya Wednesday.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist totalled 198kg, lifting 88kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk to claim India’s first Asian Games weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari won bronze in 1998.
The Asian Games silver adds to Chanu’s 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 215kg (94kg+121kg) lived up to expectations, winning the gold with a record-breaking performance to complete a hat-trick of Asian Games titles.
Chanu opened with 83kg in the snatch before successfully clearing 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 finally put an Asian Games medal to her name after two previous near-misses.
