Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

Commonwealth Games 2026: 8 weightlifting medals but warning signs remain

Despite an eight-medal run in Glasgow, India recorded their lowest gold-medal haul in the discipline in the past five editions

Mirabai Chanu sets sights on Asian Games medal amid rising expectations

Olympic silver medallist and three-time consecutive CWG gold medallist Mirabai Chanu acknowledged the pressure of high expectations, saying her next target is an elusive Asian Games medal. Chanu began her ascent at the 2014 Glasgow CWG with a silver medal before winning three consecutive golds in her weight category in Gold Coast in 2018, Birmingham in 2022 and Glasgow again in 2026. She also won the World Championships gold in 2017 and silver medals in 2022 and 2025, besides medals at the Asian and Commonwealth Championships. "Winning a medal makes you very happy, but it is also very difficult. You have more responsibilities and have to give your best in upcoming competitions. There is a lot of pressure. An Asian Games medal will be very important for me. "I will try my best because I have to win where I have never won a medal before. So, the Asian Games is very important for me. Yes, I am aiming for an Asian Games medal next, for which there is pressure," Chanu told PTI in an ...

Commonwealth Games 2026 closes with Glasgow passing baton to Ahmedabad

One of the defining moments of the closing ceremony was a unique Indo-Scottish 'jugalbandi', with musicians and dancers from both nations coming together in a cultural collaboration

Tears, tricolour and gold: Mirabai's emotional tribute to India at CWG 2026

Mirabai Chanu's gold medal at the Commonwealth Games was wrapped in patriotism. As she stepped onto the weightlifting platform on Sunday, the three-time Commonwealth Games champion sported butterfly-shaped hair clips made from tricolour ribbons, a tribute to the country she was determined to make proud. "I wanted to do something for India, so I made these butterfly clips with Indian flag-coloured ribbons last night," Mirabai told PTI after winning the women's 48kg gold. The tricolour remained close to her even after the competition ended. Standing atop the podium as the Indian national anthem echoed through the arena, Mirabai struggled to hold back her emotions. "Seeing the flag and hearing our National Anthem just makes tears flow naturally," she said. "They were tears of joy because I had won the first gold medal for India in this Commonwealth Games. I want to thank all the people of India for praying so earnestly for me. Those were tears of happiness," the Olympic silver medal

CWG 2026: Mirabai Chanu clinches India's 1st gold with record-breaking lift

With the triumph, Chanu became only the second Indian athlete after wrestler Vinesh Phogat to win three successive individual gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

CWG 2026: Full schedule, live event time (IST), Indian athletes, streaming

India has named a 120-member contingent for Glasgow 2026 across 13 disciplines. Athletics accounts for the largest representation, followed by boxing, judo and weightlifting

Commonwealth Weightlifting in Mirabai's sights as World C'ship prep begins

Mirabai Chanu is on a comeback trail after a spate of injuries and the first pit stop is Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship starting here Friday which will be her dress rehearsal for the marquee World Championship in Norway in October. While immediate focus is on Ahmedabad event, Chanu revealed that her ultimate target is podium finish at the World Championships in Norway in October and the Asian Games in Japan next year. I'm not putting all my effort into Ahmedabad because I'm preparing for the World Championships. My biggest target is the Asian Games, where I aim to break world records and win a medal, as I have none there yet, she said on the eve of the Championship. The silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 31-year-old Mirabai has had a few setbacks in past few years due to injuries and also missed out on a possible bronze medal at the Paris Games last year. Mirabai, who competes in the 48 kg category, is confident of lifting 90 kg in the snatch section at the .

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu targets the missing medal in her trophy cabinet

Chanu opens up on why winning an Asian Games medal would mean the world to her, her love for Lata Mangeshkar songs, and the plans to open an academy for weightlifters in Manipur

Mirabai Chanu and the struggle for glory in 2024 in Indian weightlifting

Not many sports are inseparably linked with an individual, but Mirabai Chanu has been that one name in Indian weightlifting for several years now and 2024 was no different as she carried the weight of the nation's aspirations for Olympic glory once again. However, this time those dreams ended in heartbreak not just for her but also for the sport that has struggled to find a worthy successor to her. Chanu, who etched her name in history by ending India's 21-year Olympic medal drought in the sport with a silver at the Tokyo Games, embarked on a quest this year to achieve an extraordinary feat -- a second consecutive Olympic medal in weightlifting. While no other Indian lifter came close to qualifying for the Paris Games, Chanu secured her spot with an underwhelming 184kg (81kg + 103kg) at the Phuket World Cup, while making a remarkable return from a six-month injury layoff. Her journey to Paris was fraught with challenges. At 29, Chanu faced an uphill battle against an injury-ravage

2024 Paris Olympics: The summer of near-misses for Indian contingent

From Manu Bhaker to Vinesh Phogat, check out the full list of Indian athletes who missed the podium finish by the barest margin

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu fails to win 2nd Olympic medal, finishes fourth

Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu came tantalisingly close to clinching a second Olympic medal but a faltered lift in her final attempt cruelly snatched the dream from her grasp, leaving her with a fourth place finish in the women's 49kg event here on Wednesday. Chanu, who turns 30 on Thursday, lifted a total of 199kg (88kg+111kg) at the South Paris Arena. It was 3kgs less than what she heaved at the Tokyo Olympics, 202 kg for a silver medal. Mirabai could managed only three lifts, two of which came in the clean and jerk section, out of six attempts. The former world champion had done well to keep herself in medal contention after the snatch event but her failure to lift 114kg in her final clean and jerk attempt cost her dearly. Had she succeeded she would have bagged the bronze medal. China's Hou Zhihui smashed the clean and jerk Olympic record as she sucessfully defended her title with an effort of 206kg (89kg+117kg). Romanian Mihaela Cambei took home the silver with total of

Paris Olympics 2024 HIGHLIGHTS Day 12: Mirabai Chanu finishes fourth; Avinash finishes 11th

India at Olympics HIGLIGHTS: Vinesh's Phogat disqualified from gold medal bout, while Indian women's table tennis team lost to Germany in Q/Fs. Check Paris 2024 highlights

Olympics 2024 Weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu's event live time IST, streaming

Mirabai Chanu will be defending her Tokyo Olympics silver medal in women's 49kg weightlifting event. Mirabai's event will begin at 11 PM IST

Paris Olympics 2024: India schedule on August 7, live time (IST), streaming

India at Olympics: Avinash Sable to Mirabai Chanu- check India's schedule, live match timings on Day 12 of the Olympics 2024

Paris Olympics 2024: Injuries are mentally challenging - Mirabai Chanu

She heaved her lowest weight in years at the World Cup recently but Olympic silver-medallist Mirabai Chanu is actually quite chuffed about her performance as she managed it on the back of just one month's training after enduring a challenging injury breakdown. With only four months to go for the Paris Olympics, Chanu, who was competing in her first tournament since her Asian Games breakdown, finished 12th at the IWF World Cup with a total effort of 184kg (81kg+103kg), a whopping 33kg behind China's Hou Zhihui, who will look to defend her Olympic title. "I was delighted to be back in competition. Everything is okay now, recovery is good. I'm training at 70 per cent," Chanu told PTI. After watching her opponents raise the bar by breaking records in the 49kg weight class, Chanu's confidence received a significant boost when she heaved the barbell after just a month of training. "It felt very good. After the injury (at Asian Games), I lifted weights after 4-5 months and I got a lot of

Paris 2024: Mirabai returns to competitive action after 6-month layoff

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist lifter Mirabai Chanu will return to competitive action after a six-month injury layoff when she participates at the IWF World Cup to confirm her Paris Games berth here on Monday. The World Cup is not only the final Olympic qualifying event but also a mandatory qualifier for the Paris Games. Chanu, who has been recuperating from hip tendonitis she suffered during the Asian Games in September last year, has all but qualified for the Paris Olympics. An appearance at the World Cup on Monday will be enough for her to seal her passage to Paris as the former world champion is ranked second in the women's 49kg Olympic Qualification Ranking (OQR) behind China's Jian HuiHua. Under the 2024 Olympics qualification rules, the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup are compulsory events. Apart from these two tournaments, a lifter must participate in at least three of the following events the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 Continental Championships,

Paris 2024: Sports Ministry approves Jena and Chanu's training overseas

The Sports Ministry on Thursday approved Asian Games silver medallist javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena's proposal to train in Australia, while also funding Tokyo Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu's month-long rehab training in the US ahead of the Paris Games. Jena will be training in Gold Coast, Australia for 78 days, while Chanu will head to the US for training in St. Louis. She will be having regular sessions with Dr Aron Horschig and will be accompanied by chief coach Vijay Sharma. "MYAS, under its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) will fund Jena, his coach and physiotherapist's airfare, boarding & lodging expenditures, along with cost for availing training and massage facilities, medical and local travel expenses and Medical Insurance cost among other expenditures," the Ministry said in a release. "Ministry, under TOPS funding will cover her (Mirabai) and her coach's airfare, boarding & lodging cost, gym expenses, medical insurance cost among other expenditures." The ...

Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu set to miss Asian Championships in Feb

Injured Mirabai Chanu's return to the weightlifting arena has been further delayed as the Olympic silver medallist is set to miss the Asian Championships in February next year. Chanu, who competes in the 49kg weight class, is still recovering from the hip tendinitis injury she sustained in October while competing at the Asian Games. The former world champion, who did not lift any weight at the ongoing IWF Grand Prix II, was earlier targeting to get fit by the Asian Championships, scheduled to take place from February 3 to 10 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. "I will not participate in the Asian Championship this time. Instead, I will participate in the World Cup," Chanu told PTI on Tuesday. Under the Paris Olympic qualification rules, a lifter has to compulsorily compete in the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup, slated from March 31 to April 11 in Phuket, Thailand. Apart from the above, the lifter also has to participate in three of the following events the 2022 World ...

Mirabai eyes elusive Asian Games medal, under pressure to lift 90kg snatch

Pressure will be on Mirabai Chanu to nail the much-awaited 90kg snatch lift for a shot at that elusive Asian Games medal when the weightlifting competitions gets underway here on Saturday. But it will not be an easy task for the Manipuri to find the podium at the continental event, which features lifters from weightlifting powerhouses like China, North Korea and Thailand. Chanu has been a frontrunner in the 49kg event for sometime but the Indian now finds herself outside the 90kg elite club, playing catch up with her rivals. While she's still among the top three in the clean and jerk section, her personal best standing at 119kg, Chanu's continuous below par performance in snatch has started hurting her total weight. As many as seven lifters have breached the 90kg mark and four of them -- China's two-time world champion Jiang Huihua, North Korean Ri Song Gum and the Thai duo of Thanyathon Sukcharoen and Surodchana Khambao -- will be competing to stand on top of the podium at the ...

Weightlifting: China's Jiang Huihua breaks Mirabai Chanu's world record

Chinese lifter Jiang Huihua obliterated Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu's clean and jerk world record by lifting 120kg at the World Championships here on Tuesday. Huihua bettered Chanu's record of 119kg, which the Indian had created at the 2021 Asian Championships, in the women's 49kg clean and jerk section as she successfully defended her World Championships crown. The Chinese lifter also created a new world record for the total lift as she heaved 215kg, two kilograms better than the previous world mark (213kg) which was in her compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Hou Zhihui's name. Huihua lifted 95kg in snatch to claim the top honours in the marquee event. Zhihui finished second 211kg (95kg+116kg) while USA's Jourdan Delacruz 200kg (88kg+112kg) took home the bronze medal. Chanu, who is the frontrunner in the weight class, had withdrawn from the competition after weighing in as she focusses on the Asian Games, scheduled to begin later this month.