Mirabai Chanu Wins Silver, Ends India’s 28-Year Weightlifting Wait

Mirabai Chanu made a breakthrough by earning her first Asian Games medal with a silver in the women’s 49kg category weightlifting competition during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The 32-year-old Indian woman lifted 198kg in total, with 87kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk. The gold medal was taken by the North Korean athlete Ri Song Gum, and bronze by the Indonesian Wijayana Luluk Diani Tri who scored 191kg. Chanu’s silver medal is India’s first in 28 years in the Asian Games weightlifting tournament since the victory of Karnam Malleswari in 1998.

Mirabai Chanu Wins Silver in 49kg Category

In the women’s 49kg category, Chanu earned silver by lifting 198kg in total.

The Indian woman lifted 87kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk. The gold medal was won by North Korea’s Ri Song Gum, while the bronze was claimed by Indonesia’s Wijayana Luluk Diani Tri who scored 191kg.

For Ri Song Gum, it was a third gold medal in the tournament.

India Ends Long Asian Games Weightlifting Drought

Chanu’s success is not only about her but also holds importance on a bigger scale as she becomes the first Indian weightlifter to win a medal in the Asian Games since Karnam Malleswari won silver in the 63kg category at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998.

This marks the end of a long drought for Indian weightlifters at the Asian Games.

For Chanu, this is the cherry on top of the cake as she already has an Olympic silver medal and gold medals from the World Championships and Commonwealth Games to her name.

Long Road of Chanu to Win a Podium Place in the Asian Games

Podium finish in the Asian Games had eluded Chanu in previous editions.

Chanu made her debut in the Asian Games in Incheon 2014, securing a ninth place finish in the women’s 48kg category. Chanu missed participation in Jakarta 2018 due to back injury.

In Hangzhou 2023, she again participated in the 49kg category and secured a fourth-place finish despite being affected by a thigh injury.

This silver medal in Aichi-Nagoya brought her success in this endeavor.

A New Page in an Impressive Career

Chanu earns a new continental medal at the Asian Games, where she follows up a good year with the silver medal after winning the Commonwealth title for the third year running in Glasgow, with a total lift of 190kg.

She achieved the silver medal at the Asian Games with a 198kg total lift despite coming up against a tough Asian competition.

Chanu is now 32 years old, which makes her the oldest athlete in a group of seven lifters in the final competition.