Punjab Newsline,Sports :
Olympic medallist dominates women’s 48kg category with record-breaking performance
Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu delivered a commanding performance at the National Weightlifting Championships 2026, rewriting the record books in the women’s 48kg category on Wednesday. The experienced weightlifter showcased her class and consistency by setting three new national records in a single competition, underlining her status as one of India’s greatest weightlifting icons.
Competing in the 48kg category, Mirabai lifted a total of 205kg to clinch the gold medal. Her performance included a record-breaking 89kg in the snatch and an equally impressive 116kg in the clean and jerk, both of which surpassed existing national marks. With this effort, she also established a new national record in the overall total, bettering her own previous best.
The 31-year-old improved her total lift by a significant 6kg from her earlier national record of 199kg, which she had achieved while winning a silver medal at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Forde. At that event, Mirabai had set national records in the clean and jerk (115kg) and total lift. Her latest achievement reflects steady progress and peak conditioning as she continues to compete at the highest level.
Mirabai had also competed at the World Championships in December 2023, where she attempted to break her national snatch record with a 91kg lift but fell short. Despite that, her combined lifts at the event were strong enough to secure a comfortable victory, finishing 22kg ahead of silver medallist Ronda Soni, while Komal Kohar claimed the bronze medal.
After winning an Olympic silver medal in the 49kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Games and finishing fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Mirabai transitioned to the 48kg category in 2022 following the International Weightlifting Federation’s decision to remove the 49kg class from Olympic qualification. The move has proven successful, with Mirabai winning gold at the 2023 Commonwealth Championships and silver at the 2022 World Championships.
Looking ahead, Mirabai is expected to gradually move up to the 53kg category after the Asian Games, which will be the lowest women’s weight division at the LA 2028 Olympics. Notably, all her major international medals, including three World Championship and three Commonwealth Games medals, have come in sub-50kg categories, highlighting her dominance across weight divisions.