July 24 is a day to remember for Indian sports lovers now. Star Indian athlete and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on July 24, 2022, created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a silver medal in the Athletics World Championships. It is a historic achievement for the 24-year-old, who last year became the first Indian track and field athlete to bag the yellow metal in the Olympics.
Last year, India had the best ever show in Olympics history when as many as seven Indian athletes managed to win a medal. Apart from Neeraj’s gold, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (silver), wrestlers Ravi Dahiya (silver) and Bajrang Punia (bronze), star shuttler PV Sindhu (bronze), boxer Lovlina Borgohain (bronze) and the Indian men’s hockey team (bronze) finished on the podium.
It was a historic result for India at the world’s biggest sporting event. Till last year’s edition, India’s best ever performance in the Olympics was during the 2012 games in London, where six Indian athletes won a medal.
India’s medal run in the Japanese capital was started by weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu. The 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist was one of the favourites to win a medal in her 49kg weight category, and she delivered by finishing second and winning a silver medal. Chanu opened India’s account on July 24, 2021. She overcame her Rio heartbreak to become the first Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal in the history of the Olympics.
The Manipuri athlete managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal. A new Olympic record was set by her with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.
She finished second behind China’s Zhihui Hou, who won the gold medal after lifting a total of 210 kg.
At the Tokyo International Forum, Mirabai began with an 84kg lift in her first attempt in the snatch segment. Later, the Indian ace improved with an 87kg lift that put her in an advantageous position in the competition. But Mirabai’s momentum was cut short once Hou Zhihui hit her strides with an 88kg lift in her first attempt. Hou Zhihui then set a new Olympic record in the snatch at 94kg in her third lift.
