World Championships: Mirabai withdraws due to back issue, Gyaneshwari finishes 8th

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Gyaneshwari Yadav finished eighth in the women’s 53kg event at the IWF World Weightlifting Championships on Thursday, while India’s star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu withdrew from the competition due to a back issue.

The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh lifted a total of 198kg, comprising 88kg in the snatch and 110kg in the clean and jerk, to top Group C. Her combined effort was enough to see her finish ahead of several lifters from Groups A and B in the final standings.

Gyaneshwari could have finished higher had she converted two missed attempts, one in the snatch and another in the clean and jerk. The Asian Championships silver medallist in the 53kg category came close to improving her personal best of 199kg, but was unable to add to her total.

Chanu, meanwhile, was set to make her debut in the 53kg category at the World Championships. The Olympic silver medallist had been placed in Group B with an entry total of 200kg but withdrew from the competition after experiencing back pain.

China’s Zhang Haiqin won the world title with a total lift of 221kg, combining 98kg in the snatch and 123kg in the clean and jerk. American Eleanor Ulrey claimed the silver medal with 220kg (98kg+122kg), while North Korea’s So Hyon Kim secured bronze with a total of 214kg (91kg+123kg).

The competition also highlighted the challenge in the snatch section, with as many as seven lifters managing 90kg or more. Chanu has been striving to reach that mark consistently in the snatch for more than six years, making the performances in the category worth watching.

At the World Championships, lifters are divided into groups based on their declared entry totals, which represent the combined weight they intend to lift across the snatch and clean and jerk. Group A features lifters with the highest declared totals, while Groups B, C and D comprise athletes with progressively lower entry totals. The groupings determine when lifters compete, but the final standings are decided by their combined totals across both disciplines.

The World Championships are among six events in the first phase of the qualification system for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The competition offers weightlifters an early opportunity to compete in the qualification cycle as they begin their build-up towards the Games.

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