16 days to Tokyo Olympics 2020: Karnam Malleswari - the first Indian Olympic medalist of the 21st century

"Even if one child believes that no dream is too big to chase, my work here is done." - Karnam Malleswari (as quoted by the Hindu).

Nearly half of the 116 Indian athletes bound for the first ‘gender balanced’ Olympics are women. Boasting a mix of experienced players and first-timers, India are heavily relying on their female athletes to win glory at the Tokyo Olympics. Be it PV Sindhu in Badminton, Vinesh Phogat in Wrestling or Mirabai Chanu in weightlifting, everyone will be expecting a podium finish from them.

Since 2012, women have continued to shine at quadrennial events. They have continued to break the Indian social stigmas to set new ones for the GenZ to chase.

Saina Nehwal set the stage by becoming the first shuttler to win a medal (bronze at the London Games). Mary Kom became the first female boxer to win a medal (bronze in 2012). Sindhu and Sakshi Malik continued the trend in 2016. At the Rio Games, Sindhu became the first badminton player to win silver, while Sakshi was the first female wrestler to win an Olympic medal (bronze).

But before the emergence of these Olympic heroes, there was one who is called the ‘Breaker of Chains’. In a sport which is heavily dominated by male athletes, she became the Indian to win an Olympic medal in 21st century. It was Karnam Malleswari. She won the bronze medal (weightlighting) at the 2000 Sydney Games that lifted an entire generation of Indian women.

“A girl winning an Olympic medal came as a shock to everyone,” Karnam Malleswari was quoted by Scroll as saying.

The historic triumph, though, would not have been scripted if not for Karnam Malleswari’s determination.

Behind a successful woman there is a woman

Karnam Malleswari, 46, hailed from a family of sportspeople. Her father Karnam Manohar was a football player at the collegiate level, while her four sisters were weightlifters.

Ironically, it was her mother Shyamala, the only non-sporting member of the family, who encouraged Karnam Malleswari to chase a dream.

At 12, Karnam was snubbed by coach Neelamshetty Appanna, who taught weightlifting at a local gym in the town of Voosavanipeta, Andhra Pradesh. The reason cited was, young Karnam was too thin and weak for the sport.

However, Shyamala’s pep talk to a disheartened Karnam Malleswari changed everything.

She said (during The Medal of Glory Show on Sony Sports):

“Back then, there were a lot of restrictions on girls. From a woman in a sport like weightlifting, there was a lot of backlash,” she recalled. “My mother told me that if I felt bad about people doubting my ability, then I should prove them wrong by pursuing weightlifting.”

Karnam Malleswari rises through the ranks

Although Karnam Malleswari had started training at a local gym, she was still a raw diamond yet to be carved. The turning point came when she visited the SAI national camp as an aspiring, young weightlifter.

READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Will Saikom Mirabai Chanu become the first Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic gold?

Karnam Malleswari, who was not part of the camp, tagged along as a visitor with her elder sister Krishna Kumari. It was there that a young and curious Karnam was noticed by Olympic and world champion Leonid Taraneko.

“I was sitting in a corner just observing the minute details of (weight)lifting. Taraneko saw me and called me. He asked me if I am interested in the sport. I replied with a nod. He then asked me to lift. I lifted around 35 kg which was equivalent to my weight. He was so impressed that he immediately recommended me to the Bangalore Sports Institute,” Karnam Malleswari told DD Sports.

In her first junior national weightlifting championship (1990), Karnam Malleswari shattered nine national records in the 52kg division. A year later she won a silver medal at the senior national championship.

Karnam Malleswari – A serial history maker

In 1993, at her first weightlifting World Championships, Karnam Malleswari bagged a bronze medal in the 54kg division.

A year later, she bettered the performance, and finished at the top of the podium. This was the first time an Indian woman weightlifter won gold at the world championships.

She successfully defended her world title in 1995 but had to settle for a bronze at the 1996 Worlds.

As she grew older, she gained muscles and shifted up in weight class. Now competing in 63 kg, she quickly adapted to the changes and won her second Asian Games silver in 1998.

A women’s weightlifting event was first introduced at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Karnam Malleswari had moved up to 69 kg, a weight category she was completely unfamiliar with. Experts also counted her out as she had not won a world championship medal since 1996.

READ: Can Mirabai Chanu end India's 2-decade-long Olympic medal drought in weightlifting?

However, Karnam Malleswari loved proving people wrong and she did so once again in Sydney.

At the turn of the century, Karnam Malleswari lifts the bar high for India

In the 69kg, Karnam Malleswari, China’s Lin Weining, and Hungary’s Erzsebet Markus were the favorites for a podium finish.

The trio had lifted weights for 110kg each in the ‘snatch’ category in the final.

In the clean and jerk category, Weining soared into the lead with an incredible 132.5 kg lift in the first attempt. Karnam Malleswari and Markus lifted 125 kg each.

However, with Weining failing to improve on her first lift, Markus capitalized. She lifted 132.5 on the second attempt to move into joint-second. Karnam lifted 130 kg.

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It all came down to the final clean and jerk lift. Both Markus and Weining had lifted an aggregate of 242.5 kg. Karnam Malleswari was trailing by 2.5 kg and a lift of at least 132.5 kg would have guaranteed her a silver on bodyweight. But a 135 kg would make her a confirmed gold medalist.

Karnam, advised by her coaches, decided to go for 137.5 kg. It was a big decision to go for a 7.5 kg jump. But she had done it in practice and believed she could do it again.

READ: Who is Mirabai Chanu? 5 things you didn't know about India's weightlifter

However, Karnam Malleswari faltered at a crucial moment. She lifted the barbell a little too quickly, and it struck her knee, causing her to fall.

She missed the gold, but still managed to grab a bronze. The Olympic medal was enough for younger women to dream big and carve their own identity. It was a lasting legacy that became a springboard for Nehwal, Sindhu, Vinesh and other women athletes to win laurels for India.

“I feel proud to have created this pathway for our girls and to see them winning Olympic medals. Some even tell me today, ‘Ma’am you started it all’, so I feel delighted to have changed the perception,” she said at Sony Sports’ The Medal of Glory Show.

Mirabai Chanu looks to emulate Karnam Malleswari at Tokyo Olympics

Mirabai Chanu will be the lone weightlifter from India at the Tokyo Olympics. She is the current clean and jerk world record holder.

Chanu shattered the record in clean and jerk with a 119kg lift at the Asian Championship. She won a bronze in the 49kg category with an aggregate lift of 205 kg.