Mirabai Chanu scripts history, lands hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold

India’s weightlifting icon Mirabai Chanu scripted history, clinching the nation's first gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a dominant overall lift of 190kg.

Mirabai Chanu tastes gold at CWG 2026

Competing in the women’s 48kg event, the 31-year-old reaffirmed her status as an elite global lifter on the same day countryman Rishikanta Singh claimed silver. Chanu's victory boosted India's overall tally to three medals at the 23rd edition of the Games, continuing a strong showing for the weightlifting squad, which will have another podium shot later in the day through M Raja in the men's 65kg division.

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Chanu's hat-trick of CWG gold

Chanu's gold marks her third consecutive Commonwealth title following her triumphs in Glasgow and Birmingham, taking her overall CWG medal haul to four. Her march to victory was not without drama: after an initial slip-up at 82kg in the snatch, she bounced back in her third attempt to successfully lift 85kg, setting a new Commonwealth Games record. In the clean and jerk, she sealed top spot on her second attempt by successfully tackling 105kg. Confident in her gold-medal standing, Chanu opted to skip her final attempt, leaving Nigeria's Ruth Asuquo Nyong and Malaysia's Irene Jane Henry to take silver and bronze, respectively.

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Chanu’s rise to legendary status in Indian weightlifting is anchored by an extraordinary, decade-long dominance at the Commonwealth Games. Her story on the international stage began at the 2014 Glasgow Games, where she signaled her potential with a debut silver in the 48kg event. She elevated her game four years later at Gold Coast 2018, storming to gold while setting new Games and Commonwealth records with a 196kg total. Continuing her reign at the 2022 Birmingham Games, Chanu successfully defended her title in the 49kg category, setting another Games record with a phenomenal 201kg total to seal India’s first gold of the competition. Across four straight Commonwealth Games appearances, she has amassed three golds and a silver, cementing her place among India's all-time sporting greats.