Fresh from securing her third gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu Saikhom expressed that her main focus was not on breaking records but on enhancing her performance for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. Dominating the 48kg women’s weightlifting category, she smashed the Commonwealth Games record by lifting 85kg in the Snatch and further set a new record of 105kg in the Clean & Jerk, claiming her third consecutive Commonwealth gold.
This victory marked Mirabai’s fourth Commonwealth Games medal, following her silver in the 48kg division at Glasgow 2014 and gold medals at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Looking ahead to the Asian Games in Nagoya, she aims to excel in the 49kg category and secure a medal.
Mirabai’s journey in weightlifting includes a ninth-place finish at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon at the age of 19. Despite facing setbacks like a back injury that led to her withdrawal from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, she persevered. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, a hip injury thwarted her chances of a podium finish, leaving her in fourth place.
The emotional moment of standing atop the podium at the Commonwealth Games, hearing the national anthem play, brought tears of joy for Mirabai. Reflecting on her challenges, sacrifices, and hard work during training, she expressed immense pride in winning India’s first gold medal at the Games.
Addressing the pressure of elite competition, Mirabai acknowledged the high expectations and emphasized the importance of handling pressure to deliver her best performance in weightlifting and bring glory to India.
