Mirabai Chanu Lifts India to Glory with World Championship Silver

For India, medals at the World Weightlifting Championships are not just about numbers on a tally sheet—they carry the weight of a nation’s hopes, sacrifices, and resilience. On Thursday, Mirabai Chanu, one of India’s most celebrated athletes, lifted her way back into the global spotlight by securing a silver medal in the women’s 48kg category at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships. Her combined lift of 199kg (84kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk) was not only a personal triumph but also ended India’s three-year wait for a medal at the championships.A Fierce Battle on the Global StageThe 48 kg division in Norway turned into a thrilling contest featuring world class athletes. North Korea’s Ri Song-gum dominated the field, winning all three gold medals and rewriting history with new world records 91kg in snatch, 122kg in clean and jerk, and a total of 213kg. Thailand’s Thanyathon Sukcharoen also impressed, narrowly finishing behind Chanu with a total of 198 kg, enough for the bronze medal. Chanu may not have matched Ri’s superhuman figures, but her consistency and ability to recover from early setbacks made her silver medal one of the standout stories of the tournament.Snatch Struggles: A Test of NervesEvery great story has its moments of tension, and for Chanu, the snatch round was exactly that. She opened her campaign with a successful lift of 84 kg, but her next two attempts at 87 kg ended in disappointment. The missed lifts could have dented her confidence, yet Chanu showed why she is regarded as one of the finest lifters of her generation. Instead of faltering, she used the clean and jerk segment to reclaim her momentum. Her 84 kg effort still earned her a bronze in the snatch section—a reminder that even small victories count in high-pressure competitions. The clean and jerk has always been Chanu’s strength, and she once again proved her mastery in the event. Starting with 109 kg, she smoothly moved to 112 kg and finally capped her performance with a flawless 115 kg lift. From Paris Heartbreak to Norway GloryMirabai’s silver in Norway comes with a strong sense of redemption. After narrowly missing a podium finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she came fourth, questions loomed about whether the 31-year-old still had the fire to compete with the best. With this medal, Chanu’s record at the World Championships now shines even brighter: gold in 2017 (48 kg) at Anaheim, silver in 2022 (49 kg) at Bogota, and another silver in 2025 (48 kg) at Norway. Add to that her 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medal and multiple Commonwealth Games golds, and the picture that emerges is of an athlete who has consistently delivered for India on the world stage. Now at 31, Chanu remains the torchbearer of Indian weightlifting, inspiring an entire generation to dream big and lift bigger.What Lies AheadThe silver medal in Førde sets the stage for what could be the final chapter of Chanu’s career: a push toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If she continues at this level, another Olympic podium might just be within reach. For now, her latest medal is a beacon for Indian sport, reminding the world that Mirabai Chanu is far from done. In the world of weightlifting, numbers define victories, but stories define legacies. Mirabai Chanu’s 199 kg total in Norway is more than a figure; it is a story of redemption and inspiration. She may have stood on the second step of the podium, but for millions of Indians, Mirabai Chanu’s silver in Norway will shine just as brightly as gold.