The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : Chanu finishes fourth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Sport

Sport - Olympic Games

Chanu finishes fourth

ATHENS, AUG. 15. Sanamacha Chanu improved her position in the 53-kg category to finish fourth in the Olympics, though she lifted five kilograms less than her effort in Sydney four years ago.

The 25-year-old Chanu lifted 82.5 in snatch and 107.5 in clean and jerk for a 190. At Sydney, Chanu had done 85 in snatch and 110 in clean and jerk while coming sixth. She failed to achieve those weights even on her third attempt here.

It would not have helped in any case, as she missed the bronze by 7.5 kg, in a field of eight competitors.

Chanu pipped Marioara Munteanu of Romania and Nastassia Novikava of Belarus on lesser bodyweight after all three tied at 190. It may prove handy, should any of the medallists fail the dope test!

Kunjarani fifth

On Saturday night, Kunjarani Devi tried her best to find Olympic glory. But sadly it was not to be and she failed to rise above her best and lost out in the race for a medal in the 48-kg category.

Competing against lifters 15 years younger, the 36-year-old Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was weighed down by her age rather than helped by her vast experience.

The winner of many World championship medals had to resign with a disappointed shake of her head, returning a total of 190-kg that put her in the fifth slot.

It was her best performance in an international meet.

Kunjarani lifted 82.5 kg in snatch on the second attempt but failed at 85. She lifted 107.5 in clean and jerk, but could not push herself beyond that. She was beaten to the bronze by 10 kg by Aree Wiratthaworn of Thailand.

Nan Aye Khine of Myanmar pipped her to the fourth slot on the basis of her lesser bodyweight after the two tied at 190.

The World and Olympic record by the 21-year-old Taylan Nurcan effectively guaranteed her the gold at the end of the snatch itself. The Turkish girl lifted 95.5 kg in the 53-kg event in April this season, and it did not seem difficult for her to lift two kg more, despite having reduced her body weight by about 5.2 kg.

There was no guarantee of a medal for her in the 53-kg section in a field comprising superior lifters from Korea, Thailand and China. It was thus no surprise that Taylan entered the 48-kg section.

It is one trick that Karnam Malleswari too has adopted at the advice of the Bulgarian coach Leonid Taranenko as a final resort to clinch a medal, shifting from 69-kg to 63-kg. Of course, one may have to wait for the weighing-in to see whether Malleswari was successful in her first attempt!

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