Mirabai Chanu wins silver in 49kg at World Weightlifting Championships

Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu won silver in the 49kg category at the World Weightlifting Championships in Norway with a total lift of 199kg. North Korea’s Ri Song Gum claimed gold, while Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen took bronze

Forde (Norway): Olympic medallist Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu clinched a silver medal at the World Championships in the 49kg category here. This is her third medal at the marquee event and second silver for the former world champion.

Mirabai, who returned to action after Paris 2024 by winning the 48kg gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August, produced a total lift of 199kg (84kg snatch + 115kg clean and jerk).

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The 2017 world champion and 2022 silver-medallist had two failed attempts at 87kg. Even her first lift at 84kg looked slightly uncomfortable, but she regained her rhythm in the clean and jerk, successfully executing all three attempts.

In the clean and jerk, she lifted 109kg, followed by 112kg, before hoisting 115kg — the same weight she lifted at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago.

North Korea’s Ri Song Gum won the gold with an impressive 213kg total lift (91kg + 122kg), setting new world records in total as well as clean and jerk. Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen took the bronze with a total lift of 198kg (88kg snatch + 110kg clean and jerk).

The 31-year-old Indian ace had earlier won gold in the 48kg category at the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim and silver in the 49kg category at the 2022 edition in Bogota.

India sent a 14-member contingent to the World Weightlifting Championships 2025, which will run till October 11. The event also serves as one of the qualifying competitions for next year’s Commonwealth Games.

In the women’s section, besides Mirabai, Koyel Bar (53kg), Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam (58kg), Nirupama Devi Seram (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), and Mehak Sharma (86kg+) are in action.

Bindyarani, Nirupama, and Mehak all won silver medals, while Harjinder and Vanshita bagged bronze at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August.

Meanwhile, India’s men’s contingent will be led by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Lovepreet Singh.

Lovepreet also won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships earlier this year, where Ajith Narayana and Ajaya Babu Valluri struck gold.