Missing out on the Tokyo Olympics last year made him realise that the transition from junior to senior level is not easy, says Youth Olympic champion weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga as he aims to clinch the coveted gold at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
After a torrid year that saw him suffer two injuries and contract the dreaded COVID-19 virus, Jeremy is all rejuvenated and prepared to do what it takes to succeed at the senior level, starting with the multi-sport event at Birmingham. It's my first CWG and I'm feeling great. After the Youth Olympics this is going to be the biggest competition for me after four years as I had missed out on the Olympics, Jeremy, who competes in the 67kg category, told PTI.
Jeremy had burst into the scene in 2018 when he became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. The Mizoram lifter was touted as one for the future in the sport but while he managed to shatter youth world records, Jeremy's performance a the senior level has left a lot to be desired. "I understood that I have to work much harder because the total that I was lifting was not good enough. It also made me realise how tough the Olympics is from junior to senior.
The past year has been a tough one for the 19-year-old. At the Asian Championships, he finished a disappointing eight. It was later revealed that he had some problem in his knee, which also affected his performance at the Junior World Championships. There was a problem was in his tendon in my knee. Water filled up behind his knee and he had to undergo surgery for that.
His below-par Asian Championship outing also cost him a place in the Olympic Games. His wretched luck continued as a couple of weeks before the World Championships, he developed severe back ache. However, he managed to finish fourth. There was a problem near his spine, and his upper back yet he competed at the world championships. To make matters worse, the teenager contracted COVID-19 at the fag end of last year.