Mirabai Chanu celebrates her gold medal win at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, securing her 2026 Games qualification (Freepik)
Mirabai Chanu, a former world champion and Olympic silver medalist, made a loud entrance back into competitive action. With her gold medal win at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad this Monday, In what is her first outing since the Paris 2024 Olympics, Chanu lifted a total of 193 kg, comprising 84 kg in snatch and 109 kg in clean and jerk; this secured her not only top honors but also a direct ticket to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Chanu said the emotion after her victory and competing in front of a home crowd after more than a year was "immense motivation". Clear credits went to her coaches and support staff, along with the encouragement of the entire nation, for her ability to come back strong. "This victory is the result of relentless hard work," she said about the medal, calling it a huge confidence boost ahead of the upcoming World Championships in October.
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This test of mettle was really a demonstration of resilience and planning. In the 48 kg category, Chanu missed her opening snatch attempt before recovering well with a lift of 84 kg and then narrowly missing 87 kg. In clean and jerk, she managed 105 kg on her first attempt, then 109 kg on her second; she couldn't add 113 kg, though. Even with those misses, her total was more than enough to claim the gold medal.
Sunil Dalvi of India finished second at a lift of 177 kg. Nigeria's Ruth Asouquo Nyong claimed the bronze with a lift of 167 kg. But for Chanu, this medal was much beyond numbers; it meant adjustment to a new weight category and endurance test before being proved as one among the bests of the world.
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In its new reconstruction, the International Weightlifting Federation swept aside the 49 kg class and placed Chanu's previous weight competition against the new 48 kg division. The major challenge now is to achieve an adequate balance between losing weight and keeping muscle strength intact. Cutting down from about 51 kg to under 48 kg would require a very careful dietary plan and changes in the training regimen, explained Chanu's coach Vijay Sharma. "There was some concern about whether her body could adapt, especially with age. But she handled it smoothly this time," Sharma noted.
Chanu has a clear perception that at the age of 31 every competition counts. While the October World Weightlifting Championships and, subsequently, preparations for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games beckon, work is fully on with her and her team to fine tune her conditioning, primarily concentrating on gradual weight loss and state retention.ย
For sports fans across India, her gold in Ahmedabad is not just another medal it's a reaffirmation of her grit, adaptability and unwavering determination to lift the nation's hopes, literally, onto the global stage.
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