CWG 2018: Meet Mirabai Chanu, winner of India's first gold at Gold Coast

The world champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu lifted 86kg to keep rewriting the Games records and to raise her own National record by 1 kg

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu from Manipur won India its first gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 in the women's 48 kg category. The world champion lifted 86 kg to keep rewriting the Games records and bettered her own National record by 1 kilogram. In a remarkable performance, Chanu smashed the Commonwealth Games record in snatch, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80 kg, 84 kg and 86 kg). 

She then lifted more than double her body weight (103 kg, 107 kg and 110 kg) in three successful attempts to claim the clean and jerk as well as the overall Games record.

She became second Indian women after Karnam Malleswari to win gold at the 2017 IWF World Weightlifting Championship in Anaheim, USA. Competing in 48 kg category she made a world record by lifting 194 kg in total that is 85 kg snatch and 109 kg clean & jerk. She also claimed a gold medal at the 12th South Asian Games in 2016. During 2014 Commonwealth games held in Glasgow, she claimed a silver while competing in the 48kg category.

Mirbai got qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the women's 48 kg category. However, she failed to finish the event as she failed to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean and jerk section. 

Mirabai began her weightlifting career in 2007 at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. Her inspiration has been Kunjarana Devi who held 48 kg national record for 12 years. Chanu broke into limelight during the trials of Rio Olympics 2016 weightlifting event in Patiala where she broke the national record of her inspiration Kunjarana Devi. 

Saikhom has widely been hailed as the successor to India’s first individual woman medalist at the Olympic Games, Malleshwari. This sensational record-setting performance at Gold Coast has enchanted her reputation multifold.