Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Mirabai Chanu narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. There was a regret of not winning a medal, but Indian star weightlifter Mirabai did not collapse in disappointment. On the contrary, she had an unwavering smile on her face that day too. Standing in the mixed zone, Mira said that the day was not hers. However, she will return to the path of success in a big way. Mirabai proved that it was not just talk by winning gold for the third time at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. After being out for a long time due to injury, she returned to the competitive stage. Mirabai, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, had only one dream left to fulfill. There was no Asian Games medal in the medal cabinet of the successful weightlifter from Manipur. Chanu fulfilled that goal by winning silver in 49 categories at the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Games. The last silver medal in women's weightlifting came at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games when Karnam Maleshwari won a silver medal. Mirabai won a medal at the Asian Games after 28 years.
Mirabai Aichi, who won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, lifted 88 kg in the snatch and 111 kg in the clean and jerk, for a total of 198 kg, to win the silver medal. Two-time world champion Ri Song Gum of North Korea won the gold medal by lifting a record-breaking 94 kg in the snatch and 121 kg in the clean and jerk, for a total of 215 kg. After 2018, 2023 and 2026, she completed a hat-trick of gold wins. Indonesia's Wijyana Luluk Diana won the bronze medal by lifting 191 kg (87 kg in the snatch and 103 kg in the clean and jerk).
Chanu started her medal fight by lifting the 83 kg open snatch. In the next two times, she lifted 85 and 87 kg. She was in third place then. But the Indian star weightlifter secured the silver medal by lifting 111 kg in the clean and jerk. With this medal, the Asian Games medal was added to the medals of the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Championships, and Asian Championships.
Mirabai Chanu never gave up even though she failed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. After winning the silver in the Tokyo Olympics, she won the gold in the Commonwealth Games. After winning the first medal in the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, Chanu did not hide her excitement. Chanu, who participated in the competition with the Indian flag painted on her nails, said, "This is not a medal for me. So I am very happy. When I started weightlifting 10 years ago, my goal was to win a medal in the Asian Games. I will raise the country's flag high. I have won medals in the Olympics, Commonwealth and other competitions. It was sad to lose the medal in the Paris Olympics. After that, the injury caused me a lot of problems in the intervening years. But I did not give up. I got fit and returned to the competition and won gold in the Commonwealth Games a few days ago. Since then, I started preparing to win a medal in the Asian Games. That goal has been achieved. I would tell the new generation of competitors that failure can come at some point in life. Injuries can cause problems. But you should not give up the fight because of that. Rather, you have to prepare yourself anew, increase your concentration and jump to win a medal. To make the country proud. Which I am very happy to have achieved. Now I will enjoy this success. Then I will get ready for the next competition.
Needless to say, Mirabai Chanu's next goal will be to win a medal in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.