When Mirabai Chanu walked up to the platform in Forde, Norway, the spotlight followed her every step.The 2017 world champion, the 2021 Olympic silver medallist, the face of Indian weightlifting, she carried on her shoulders not just the weight that would make up her final tally, but the weight of expectations that have grown heavier with every medal she has won. And once again, she stood tall.At the World Weightlifting Championships, Mirabai produced a total of 199kg — 84kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk — to clinch the silver medal in the women’s 48kg category. It was a podium finish achieved through grit, resilience and a champion’s knack for finding her rhythm when it mattered most.The 48kg category has been kind to Mirabai in the past, but this year came with its own set of challenges. Having competed in recent years in the 49kg class, she decided to step down to her old weight division. Such moves are rarely easy for top lifters — it demands meticulous attention to diet, an ironclad training schedule and the mental steel to adapt quickly. Mirabai embraced it with the determination of an athlete who thrives on pushing her own limits.Speaking after her win, Mirabai said, “I’m happy to finish on the podium, it gives me great confidence for the year ahead. Every competition is part of my preparation towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games will be crucial milestones in that journey. I’m focused on working hard, learning from each outing and giving my best for the country.”When she walked on stage for the snatch, Mirabai opened with a conservative 84kg attempt that she completed safely. But when the barbell was raised to 87kg, the Indian faltered twice, leaving her with just one successful snatch to count on.It could have been a mental breaking point. Many lifters, after successive failures, lose their composure. But Mirabai is built differently. She reset her focus for the clean and jerk — the lift that has defined her career, the one where she once held the world record. And there, she was sublime.She opened confidently with 109kg, glided into 112kg with familiar poise, and then summoned her Tokyo Olympics spirit to hoist 115kg — the heaviest she has managed since that magical evening in Japan when she delivered India’s first medal of the Games. By the end, her total of 199kg was enough to add another silver medal to her illustrious resume.It was not just about the podium; it was about the statement that she was still in the mix, still hungry for bigger things, still writing her story.India’s chief coach Vijay Sharma has seen Mirabai first struggle and then soar over the years. For him, this silver medal is an important checkpoint in her career.“This is just the start of a very important phase in her career, with Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year serving as key tests before the LA Olympics. The focus now is on fine-tuning her technique, building strength and ensuring she peaks at the right time,” Sharma told TOI.
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“She can still add up to 10kg more to her world championship total. We’ve fine-tuned her training programme and brought in expert technical guidance to sharpen her performance. Right now, our main focus is on load management to safeguard her from injuries,” Sharma added.“I was confident she would win a medal. Even after dropping a kilo in weight category, Mirabai matched her Tokyo Olympic clean and jerk lift. That consistency under tougher conditions is what makes her performance truly remarkable,” Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president Sahdev Yadav said.North Korea’s Ri Song Gum won the gold with a 213kg effort (91kg + 122kg), setting new world records in total as well as clean and jerk with her last two lifts of 120kg and 122kg.
