She lifts 240 kg and the hopes of a billion

Speaking to the press, Malleswari said she could have lifted more than what she did tonight; she’s lifted 10 kg more on occasion. “But I had a medal in mind for which millions of Indian back home have been waiting. So my coaches and I decided to go safe and make sure of just that,” she said.

After the event, Malleswari said her determination had increased after an article in a weekly magazine saying she was overweight, drank beer and ate too much cheese and chicken. Calling the magazine “stupid,” Malleswari said: “They had accused me of being overweight and unfit. Nobody asked my opinion or tried to confirm anything with me…Every one pointed out this to my husband. But he told me to keep quiet and concentrate on my training. And now I have proved them wrong.”

She then put the medal around the neck of her coach. “This is the first time I’m seeing a bronze medal from so close,” said Taranenko, a winner at the Moscow Olympics.

While President K R Narayanan sent a congratulatory message to Malleswari, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee called her success “a tribute to Indian womanhood.” He also said he hoped it would boost the morale of the Indian contingent in Sydney.

At the Olympics, an emotional Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association, said it was a red letter day in Indian sporting history. He continued: “All the three women have done so well. India is proud of Anjali Vedpathak, Sanamachu Chanu and now Malleswari. They have done what we have been waiting for so many years.”

Randhir Singh, the Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association said “the nation salutes this great lady.”

Ironically, it was a night very few Indians savoured. In fact, most members of the Indian contingent and press corps were at the hockey field, where India were playing Australia. In fact, Malleswari’s moment of glory came at the moment when Mukesh Kumar put India ahead.

The bronze she won today was only the third individual medal by an Indian, the other two being those won by wrestler K D Jadhav and tennis star Leander Paes.

The road to success couldn’t have been harder for the 25-year-old from Srikakulam district. She had won the Asian silver in the 63-kg category and the world title in the 48-kg event in 1994 and 1995. Indeed, had women’s weightlifting been introduced in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a gold for Malleswari would have been a certainty.

However, here she was taking part in the 69-kg category for the first time in her life. There was much pressure on the selectors to send Kunjarani Devi, instead of her, to the Olympics. She made it at the eleventh hour thanks to her record, her present world ranking and the presence of world-beaters in Kunjarani’s category. And then she was written off as a `no-contender’.

But Malleswari began preparations for Sydney in 1996 itself, using the services of top Indian coach Pal Singh Sandhu. But there were further setbacks; after taking only a 15-day break in the first year, her training suffered a severe jolt due to a back injury.

Despite being forced to rest her back and not being in a position to lift weights, her physical training continued as she attempted to build up her upper body and legs. She made a satisfactory recovery from the injury but also put on weight. That forced her to compete in a higher weight category at the Asiad in Bangkok, where she won a silver medal.

The rest is now part of Indian sporting history.