Eko Yuli Must Struggle To Recover From Injury Ahead Of The 2024 Paris Olympics

Eko Yuli Irawan, an Indonesian athlete who performed the most at the Olympics (doc. NOC Indonesia).

JAKARTA Indonesia's flagship lifter, Eko Yuli Irawan, must fight with time to recover from injury in order to appear prime at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the middle of this year.

The 34-year-old athlete was not in good shape when he got a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics at the 2024 World Weightlifting Cup or IWF World Cup which took place in Phuket, Thailand, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

"I feel that the force is not perfect due to the effects of left leg injuries that have not recovered properly and are too risky for me to give my best performance," said Eko.

The injury occurred at the 2023 Cambodian SEA Game and has actually been handled. However, the tight agenda of chasing tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics made the injury slow to recover.

In this condition that is not fit, Eko is still able to win a silver medal for the 133 kilogram snatch at the 2024 IWF World Cup. He then refused to continue the clean & jerk class after failing in the first attempt.

In the clean & jerk class, Eko tried the first batch weighing 146 kilograms and failed. He then refused to proceed to the second and third batches because he had already received a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics and did not want to take the risk with his injury.

"I need recovery after appearing in the 2024 Weightlifting World Cup (IWF World Cup) so that I can donate medals to the Indonesian contingent when appearing in Paris later," said Eko.

The results in the 2024 IWF World Cup made Eko Yuli make history as the only Indonesian athlete to appear in five Olympics. On the previous four occasions, he even always brought the medal home to the country.

Eko started his journey at the Olympics while performing in Beijing 2008 and won bronze. He made the same achievement again when he participated in the 2012 London Olympics.

Meanwhile, at the two Olympics after that, in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020, he brought home a silver medal. Thus, he remains to pursue the gold medal he has never won at the Olympics.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. This is the 33rd edition of the world's largest multi-event.

Eko is listed as the eighth Indonesian athlete to strengthen the Indonesian contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Previously, tickets had been secured by Arif Dwi Pangestu (panahan), Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (thiking cliffs), Rifda Irfanaluthfi (indonesian gymnasts), Diananda Choriunisa (floods), Rahmad Adi Mulyono (hit cliffs), Fathur Gustafian (shooting), and Rio Waida (surple).