Jeremy Lalrinnunga, an Indian weightlifter, in order to participate in 2024 Paris Olympics, he has to change his weight categories.
The International weightlifting Federation (IWF) is predicted to make changes in weightlifting classes for mega event.
Nevertheless, this change will never affect silver medalist, Mirabai Chanu, in Tokyo Olympic of India who competes in women’s 49 kg category.
A report of Olympic.com stated, according to IWF, only classes of four weight from Tokyo 2020 will be maintained.
However, the draft requires approval from General Council of IWF. Once it is approved it will be forwarded to the International Olympic Committee (ICO) for the purpose of clearance. By the end of February 2020, the final decision is expected.
For the Paris 2024 Games, the expected weight classes are, for men-61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg and +102kg, for women- 49kg, 59kg, 81kg, and +81kg.
The one, who maintained from Tokyo for women are- 49kg and 59kg and for men- 61kg and 73kg.
Along with that, the super heavy-weight category for men and women both have been lowered to +102kg from +109kg and +81 kg from +87kg, sequentially.
Owing to rejing, after the 2022 Asian Games in September, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, India’s promising youngster who is presently competing in the 67kg, will have to transfer his weight classes.
However, Lalrinnunga is a young Olympic champion and he also has a choice, either to bulk up to complete in 73kg class or cut-down for 61kg class.
Vijay Sharma, Indian National Coach, has approved that 19 years old Jeremy Lalrinnunga will play up to the 73kg division.
Lalrinnunga is 19 years old and recently earlier this month won a gold medal at the Commonwealth weightlifting championships and is qualified for 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Although this is not a first time for Jeremy Lalrinnunga switching his division. He won gold in 62kg category in 2018 Youth Olympics but he had to bulk-up for 67kg as per the revised category of weight.
After Rio-26, weightlifting’s existence at the Olympics has been on downslide, where across 15 medals 260 athletes had participated.
Events at Tokyo 2020, the quota was cut-down to 196 athletes in 14 medals.
The IOC has decided a quota of 120 athletes over 10 medals event and very few from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
However, for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, the Olympic governing body has also eliminated weightlifting section from the list of Initial Sports Program. Although it perhaps be included later.
