The 27-year-old popular Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu opened India’s gold medal account in the Commonwealth Games 2022 (Birmingham 2022).
The Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Mirabai Chanu secured the gold medal in the Women’s 49 kg event of weightlifting. She managed a total of 201 kg (88 kg + 113 kg) with a new Commonwealth record in the snatch category. It was her third CWG medal. Earlier, she won silver in Glasgow 2014 (Women’s 48 kg) and gold in Gold Coast 2018 (Women’s 48 kg).
The Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu was a favourite to achieve the best result in that event of the CWG 2022. She didn’t disappoint the Indian fans as she brought top performances with a great spirit.
Mirabai Chanu broke her own Commonwealth record
In the snatch category, Chanu successfully lifted 84 kg and 88 kg in the first two attempts. The 88 kg set up the new Commonwealth record in the Women’s 49 kg event’s snatch category. Chanu was also the previous Commonwealth record holder in that category of the same event with 87 kg, which she recorded during the World Weightlifting Championships 2019 in Pattaya, Thailand.
While Chanu’s third attempt was 90 kg, she failed to recreate a new Commonwealth record in the Women’s 49 kg snatch category.
With 88 kg in the snatch category, Chanu already had the 12 kg lead from the second positioned Mauritian Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranaivosoa. So, the Indian was clearly the favourite of that event.
In the next clean & jerk category, Chanu successfully lifted 109 kg and 113 kg respectively before her third attempt of 115 kg was unsuccessful (which was four kg lesser than her world record in the same category of the same event). However, she finished with a big smile as she ultimately had a 29 kg lead over the silver medal winner Mauritian Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranaivosoa.
Ranaivosoa finished with a total of 172 kg as her best performance in the snatch category was 76 kg, and the clean & jerk category was 96 kg.
Canadian Hannah Kaminski won the bronze medal after successfully lifting 171 kg (74 kg + 97 kg), just one kg lesser than the silver medalist Ranaivosoa.
