Mirabai Chanu – The Heavy weightlifter

Mirabai Chanu, an Indian weightlifter. With a total of 201 kg, Mirabai Chanu won the gold medal in weightlifting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Chanu took back home a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 49 kg category. Along with her victory in the World Championships, Mirabai Chanu also won a number of medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was given the Padma Shri honour from the Indian government for her achievements in sports. Additionally, in 2018, she received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna.

  Photo by John Arano on Unsplash

• Background and Early Life:

In Imphal, Manipur, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu was born on August 8, 1994. When her family first discovered her talent, she was just twelve years old. She brought home a good deal of firewood while her older brother struggled. Mirabai acquired her training at the Manipur Sports Academy.

• Career in Weightlifting:

In the 48 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Mirabai Chanu, who was 20 at the time, won a silver medal. With that achievement she first gained popularity on a global scale in weightlifting.

• Rio Olympics 2016:

Chanu qualified for the women’s 48 kg division in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She didn’t finish the competition, though, because none of her three efforts resulted in a successful lift.

• World Weightlifting Championships in 2017:

Mirabai Chanu won the Women’s 48 kg gold medal at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in the United States after lifting a total of 194 kg, which broke the previous competition record.

• 2018 Commonwealth games:

In order to win the first gold medal for India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Chanu lifted a total of 196 kg. She achieved her personal best effort and broke the competition record for her weight category on the way to the medal.

• World Weightlifting Championships in 2019:

At the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships, Mirabai Chanu placed fourth with a total lift of 201 kg. This personal-best result also set a brand-new national record in the 49 kg category. She achieved a new personal best four months later when she won the gold medal in the 49 kg category of the 2020 Senior National Weightlifting Championships by lifting 203 kg.

• Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2020:

Mirabai Chanu earned the bronze medal in April 2021 in Tashkent at the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships after snatching 86 kg and setting a world record with a clean and jerk of 119 kg for a total weight of 205 kg.

• Tokyo Olympics 2020:

Mirabai Chanu became the first weightlifter from India to take home an Olympic silver medal.   Chanu lifted 202 kg in total to win the silver medal in the 49 kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Mirabai Chanu broke the previous Olympic record with a solid clean and jerk lift of 115 kg. Her triumph noted that India receive its first Olympic gold in Tokyo. After the Tokyo Olympics, Manipur’s chief minister gave her one crore. She is appointment as Additional Superintendent of Police (Sports) in the Manipur State Police after winning gold medal in Tokyo Olympics.

• 2022 Commonwealth Games:

In the 49 kg weight category, Chanu won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She combined snatch, clean, and jerk lifts to total 201 kg.

Suffice to say, Mirabai Chanu is the heavy weightlifter of India who never missed a single chance to bring laurels to the country.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saikhom_Mirabai_Chanu

To know more about other Women Gold Medallists click on the link below:

https://theperfectblogger.com/commomwealth-games-2022-womens-gold-medals/