Mirabai Chanu, the famous weightlifter from Manipur, India, is back on the World Weightlifting Championships podium after three years. Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 48 kg category at the Forde, Norway Championships, her third medal at the event and India’s first medal since 2022. Her total of 199 kg (84 kg snatch and 115 kg clean and jerk) was her third career medal at the event. Ri Song Gum of North Korea won gold with a world record effort, and Thanyathon Sukcharoen of Thailand took bronze.
Mirabai Chanu: India’s Most Successful Weightlifter
Chanu’s silver at Forde was her first World Championships medal since 2022 and the third overall, cementing her position as one of India’s most successful weightlifters. It was her first outing at the World Championships since the Paris Olympics, where she had taken the fourth position. Her performance also saw India’s overall medal tally at the World Weightlifting Championships reach 18 all achieved by women sportspersons.
Bar high, dreams fly!š„³
From records to medalsš , Mirabai Chanu keeps lifting Indiaāsš®š³ pride. After a gap post-#Paris2024, she smashes records at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 & now claims Silverš„ at the 2025 World Championships, her 3rd medalš at thisā¦ pic.twitter.com/1RDbsedcyL
ā Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) October 3, 2025
A Mixed Start in Snatch
Chanu kicked off the competition in strong form with a successful 84 kg snatch but failed her subsequent two attempts at 87 kg, placing third in the snatch phase. She recovered in the clean and jerk, landing lifts of 109 kg, 112 kg, and 115 kg. Her last lift of 115 kg equaled her Tokyo Olympic personal best and won her silver in the clean and jerk and the overall total.
Also Read: Who is Rukmini Vasanth? Age, Father, Career, and Career Breakthrough
How North Korea’s Ri Song Swept the Competition
North Korea’s Ri Song Gum swept the competition, recording 91 kg in snatch and 122 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 213 kg. Her final two lifts 120 kg and 122 kg and established new world records for both clean and jerk and overall. Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen won the bronze medal with a total of 198 kg (88 kg snatch, 110 kg clean and jerk).
All About Mirabai Chanu’s First Championship
The Forde Championships was Chanu’s first world championship since 2022 and second international competition since placing fourth at Paris 2024, where she had lifted 199 kg (88 kg snatch, 111 kg clean and jerk) in the 49 kg category. She earlier won gold in the 48 kg weight class at Anaheim 2017 with 194 kg and silver at Bogota 2022 with 200 kg.
Chanu had also won gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad last month, lifting 193 kg (84 kg snatch, 109 kg clean and jerk), a win that earned her a direct qualification into the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Chief coach Vijay Sharma had previously informed PTI that the team’s goal for these World Championships was to cross the 200 kg barrier and to begin lifting the weights Chanu had been lifting in the 49 kg category. Her performance in Forde indicates persistent attempts to get back into her best competitive shape and live up to previousĀ
Also Read: Who Was Deepa Mehta? Family, Net Worth, Age, Education, Husband, Divorce
