Mirabai Chanu Wins Silver at World Weightlifting Championships, Ending India’s Medal Drought.
Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu returned to the World Weightlifting Championships podium after three years, clinching silver in the women’s 48kg category in Forde, Norway. Her 199kg total (84kg snatch, 115kg clean and jerk) marked her third career medal at the event and ended India’s medal drought at the championships since 2022. North Korea’s Ri Song Gum took gold with a world record performance, while Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen claimed bronze.
This was Chanu’s first World Championships medal since 2022 and her third overall, reinforcing her status as one of India’s most accomplished weightlifters. It was also her first appearance at the World Championships since finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics. Her performance contributed to India’s all-women tally of 18 medals at the World Weightlifting Championships.
Chanu opened the competition with a successful 84kg snatch but missed her next two attempts at 87kg, placing her third in the snatch segment. She bounced back in the clean and jerk with lifts of 109kg, 112kg, and 115kg—matching her Tokyo Olympic best and securing silver in both the clean and jerk and overall total.
Ri Song Gum dominated the event with 91kg in snatch and 122kg in clean and jerk for a 213kg total, setting new world records in her final two lifts. Thanyathon Sukcharoen of Thailand took bronze with 198kg (88kg snatch, 110kg clean and jerk).
Chanu had previously won gold in the 48kg category at Anaheim 2017 (194kg) and silver at Bogota 2022 (200kg). Last month, she also secured gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, lifting 193kg, which earned her direct qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Chief coach Vijay Sharma said the team’s goal for the World Championships was to surpass the 200kg mark and align Chanu’s lifts with her 49kg category performance. Her silver medal in Forde demonstrates steady progress toward that target.
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