India’s weightlifter Mirabai Chanu who bagged a silver medal in the 49-kg women’s weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 stands a chance for a medal upgrade to gold.
China’s Hou ZhiZhi won gold in the 49-kg women’s weightlifting has been directed to stay in Tokyo to undergo a dope test. If she fails the dope test, Chanu will be awarded a gold medal.
ZhiZhi had bagged gold for lifting 210-kg while making a new Olympic world record. Chanu bagged a silver for lifting a total of 202-kg, (115-kg in clean and jerk and 87-kg in snatch) in four successful attempts. Indonesia’s Windy Cantika Aisah won a bronze for lifting 194-kg.
After winning a silver, Chanu has become the second Indian weightlifter who has won an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari who had won a bronze in the 69-kg category at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Mirabai Chanu could win a gold medal – How?
•As per the rules of the Olympics, if an athlete fails a dope test, then the clean athletes next in rank are awarded their rightful Olympic medal following the disqualification of the doped athlete. This process is known as the Olympic Medal Reallocation.
•In this case, if China’s ZhiZhi fails the dope test, then Chanu would be awarded the gold medal. This would also make Chanu the first Indian women athlete to have won gold in the women’s weightlifting category. Following Chanu’s upgradation to the gold medal, Indonesia’s Cantika would be upgraded to silver.
What is Olympic Medal Reallocation?
•The Olympic Medal Reallocation plays a crucial role in creating a clean sporting environment that upholds the values of the Olympics and rewards those clean athletes.
•The Olympic Medal Reallocation Principles support the Athletes’ Declaration and promote a transparent, fair, and clean sporting environment that prohibits doping and competition manipulation.
What are Anti-doping rules?
•Competing clean in the Olympics or any sporting event is key to maintain the fairness of sport. Athletes competing in the Olympics are barred from doping or using any performance-enhancing substances.
•The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) founded in 1999 by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is the regulatory body and custodian for the Code.