Saikhom Mirabai Chanu — Manipur's golden girl

Jul 28, 2026

Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu created history at the 2026 Commonwealth Games this past Sunday by becoming the first female weightlifter to win three consecutive gold medals, backing up her gold medals from Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 with another record-breaking effort in the 48kg category.

The 31-year-old claimed the gold at Glasgow 2026 with a total lift of 190 kg, registering a new Games record of 85 kg in the snatch and 105 kg in the clean and jerk. Her impressive CWG tally has now risen to four medals: a silver at Glasgow 2014 along with three golds in 2018, 2022, and 2026. She has been a consistent performer for India at all international events, securing major honours.

Here, let’s take a look at her beginnings, her medal tally, honours, and records, and what lies ahead for India’s golden girl.

Humble beginnings

Mirabai Chanu hails from Nongpok Kakching in Manipur. Her father, Saikhom Kriti Meitei, was a construction worker, while her mother, Saikhom Tombi Devi, ran a small tea shop to support a family with six children. To help her family, a 12-year-old Mirabai Chanu used to lift heavy bundles of firewood that even her older brothers found difficult to lift, and this was the point at which her talent became obvious.

Her initial training began at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal. She trained under former Indian weightlifter Anita Chanu, who represented India at the 1990 Asian Games. Mirabai Chanu had to travel 40 kilometres every day, using local buses and hitchhiking to reach her destination. Lacking proper infrastructure, she initially practised her lifting techniques using bamboo trunks and later switched to barbells and conventional weights.

At just 14 years old, Mirabai Chanu competed in the sub-junior category and clinched gold at the state level. She won her first national medal in 2011 in the juniors’ category. She participated in her first senior event at the 2013 World Weightlifting Championships in the 48kg category. She made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, where she participated but did not register a total, failing to record a single successful attempt in the clean and jerk. But champions are made of sterner stuff, and the comeback is always greater than the setback.

Several medals and numerous major honours later, Mirabai Chanu is indeed one of India’s greatest athletes and a massive inspiration for many budding sportspersons who come from humble backgrounds yet dream of making a mark at the international level.

Medals, records, and honours

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has represented India at several prestigious international tournaments and won laurels for the nation. Her first medal came at the 2013 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Penang, Malaysia, where she won gold in the 48kg category.

Here are her podium finishes, records, and individual honours:

Major medals

2013 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships: Gold medal in the women’s 48kg category
2014 Commonwealth Games: Silver medal in the women’s 48kg category
2017 World Weightlifting Championships: Gold medal in the women’s 48kg category
2018 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal in the women’s 48kg category
2020 Summer Olympics: Silver medal in the women’s 49kg category
2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships: Bronze medal in the women’s 49kg category
2022 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal in the women’s 49kg category
2022 World Weightlifting Championships: Silver medal in the women’s 49kg category
2025 World Weightlifting Championships: Silver medal in the women’s 48kg category
2026 Commonwealth Games: Gold medal in the women’s 48kg category

Records

National record for total lift in the 48kg category: 205kg (89kg + 116kg)
National record for snatch in the 48kg category: 89kg
National record for clean and jerk in the 48kg category: 116kg
Commonwealth Games record for total lift in the 48kg category: 190kg
Commonwealth Games record for snatch in the 48kg category: 85kg
First woman weightlifter in Commonwealth Games history to win three consecutive gold medals

Honours

Received India’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, in 2018
Was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, in 2018

What lies ahead for Manipur’s golden girl?

Mirabai Chanu has already medalled at most major international events and doesn’t really have anything left to prove. However, she has set her sights on one particular competition where a podium finish has evaded her until now: the Asian Games.

Returning from injuries is never easy, and the past year has seen her dealing with back and wrist injuries, but it is the mark of a true champion to convert setbacks into comebacks and perform when the stakes are high. She has clinched gold at the Commonwealth Games, proving to her doubters that she isn’t done yet.

Speaking before CWG 2026, Mirabai Chanu mentioned that her focus was on the Asian Games and that she wouldn’t put too much pressure on herself. However, she managed to bag the gold easily while breaking records. Looking ahead to the Asian Games, the 31-year-old has been managing her intensity, training, and recovery to grab that elusive podium finish. She finished ninth on her debut in Incheon in 2014, missed the 2018 edition due to injury, and finished a close fourth in Hangzhou in 2023. She would also have the 2028 Olympics on her mind, and qualification for that would be of high priority.

With the 49kg weight category being removed, Mirabai Chanu will have a monumental task on her hands to push her weight up and compete in the 53kg division. She will also be 33 by the time LA28 comes around, so it will be extremely difficult to clinch her second Olympic medal. But knowing her, I have no doubt that she will be up for the challenge.

Whatever happens at the upcoming tournaments, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has already written her name into Indian weightlifting folklore. She has not only inspired an entire generation of young girls to take up the sport, but has also taught us all a lesson: that nothing is impossible if we dare to dream and work towards our goals tirelessly, even if the odds are stacked against us. Her success story proves that great champions are made from hard work, resilience, and relentless determination, and they can come from the most unexpected of places.