Five greatest achievements of Mirabai Chanu so far

The Manipuri weightlifter is the best in her sport from India since the legendary Karnam Malleshwari.

Mirabai Chanu from Manipur has become one of the most consistent performers at the global event recently winning the silver medal at the World Championships, in Bogota. She was the second weightlifter from India to win a medal at the Olympics and broke the twenty-year barrier. Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian to medal (bronze) at the Olympics in weightlifting (2000 Sydney).

Mirabai Chanu’s first international medal was at the 2013 Commonwealth Championships winning the gold and the following year claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games. Since then her career has been on an upward curve winning multiple medals both at the National and International meets. Currently, Mirabai Chanu holds the National Record in the 49kg category. 

We take a look at the five greatest achievements of Mirabai Chanu:

5. 2022 Commonwealth Games - Gold

Mirabai Chanu after failing to win a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games bounced back strongly to win the gold at the 2018 edition. She cleared a lift of 196kg setting a games record and was also 26kg ahead of the silver medallist showing full dominance. In the 2022 edition, Chanu once again broke her record clearing 201kg and winning back-to-back gold medals. This time the gap between the silver medallist and the Indian was 29kg in the 49kg weight category.

49kg

Snatch - 88kg

Clean & Jerk - 113kg

Total - 201kg

4. 2017 World Championships  - Gold

Mirabai Chanu after a disappointing campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics bounced back to win the medal in the 48kg category thereby becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal after Karnam Malleswari at the Global event. Chanu has no lifts in the Clean & Jerk section which couldn't produce a result but the way she fought back was astonishing. The 2017 World Championships gold was the turning point of her career.

48kg

Snatch - 85kg

Clean & Jerk - 109kg

Total - 194kg

3. 2020 Asian Championships - Bronze

In the first major tournament after the pandemic, Mirabai Chanu won the bronze medal in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She created a world record in the Clean & Jerk section lifting 119kg and improving her personal best to 205kg. Chanu could have finished the event with no lift as she failed to lift in the first two attempts in the snatch section but showed composure in the final attempt to lift 86kg. 

49kg

Snatch - 86kg

Clean & Jerk - 119kg

Total - 205kg

2. 2022 World Championships - Silver

The 2022 World Championships was one of the toughest events in Chanu’s career as she was up against two Chinese weightlifters. There wasn't Chinese participation in the 2017 World Championships when Chanu won the gold medal as they were suspended for a brief time but this time she was up against the strongest contingent. 

Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal ahead of Olympic Champion Huo Zhihui who won the bronze. The Manipuri had a wrist injury and could be seen struggling but never let herself down winning the silver. 

49kg

Snatch - 87kg

Clean & Jerk - 113kg

Total - 200kg 

1. 2020 Tokyo Olympics - Silver

Mirabai Chanu opened India’s medals tally at the Olympic Games with a silver medal and became the second weightlifter after KArnam Malleswari to medal at the Olympics. She was one of the favourites to win a medal as she was coming into the event with good form. Chanu was seeded second on the road to the Olympics taking into consideration past events form. 

49kg

Snatch - 87kg

Clean&Jerk - 115kg

Total - 202kg

The next aim for Mirabai Chanu will be to breach the 90kg barrier in the snatch section which has been eluding her for a long time. The race for the 2024 Paris Olympics has started on a bright note for the Manipuri athlete.