Modinagar, Feb 4 (IANS) Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu gave an outstanding performance at the National Weightlifting Championship 2026 with three national records in the women’s 48kg category on Wednesday.

Competing in the new weight class, Mirabai achieved a total lift of 205kg, setting new national records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall total. The 31-year-old lifted 89kg in the snatch and then followed it with a strong 116kg in the clean and jerk, easily securing the gold medal.

Mirabai’s total weight lifted improved by a massive 6kg from her previous best of 199 kg (at the 2022 World Championship in Forde – silver medal) to 205 kg at the World Championships in December 2023. At the 2022 World Championships she had previously held the national clean and jerk record of 115 kg and total of 199 kg (at that competition) in the 48kg category.

At the December 2023 World Championships, Mirabai attempted to set her own national snatch record of 91 kg, but did not succeed. However, her best lifts from that competition were clearly enough to allow her to win by 22 kg over silver medalist Ronda Soni and for Komal Kohar to win the bronze medal.

After winning an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo in 2020 at 49 kg and finishing fourth in Paris 2024 in the same weight category, Mirabai moved into the 48 kg category in 2022 when the IWF dropped the 49 kg category from Olympic qualification.

Already, the transition has paid off. After the move, Mirabai has taken first place at the Commonwealth Championships in 2023 and second place at the 2022 World Championships, reflecting Mirabai’s ownership of her position among the highest-level female weightlifters in India.

Looking ahead, the Tokyo Olympic medallist is expected to gradually move up to the 53kg category after the Asian Games. The 53kg division will be the lowest women’s weight class at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

Notably, all of Mirabai Chanu’s major international successes, including three medals at the World Weightlifting Championships and three Commonwealth Games medals, have come in sub-50 kg categories. This underlines her dominance and ability to compete across weight divisions.

–IANS

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