Mirabai Chanu becomes 1st Indian weightlifter to win silver in Olympics

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 24, 2021 | moderator

India's star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu created history on Saturday as she overcame her Rio heartbreak to become the first Indian weightlifter to win the silver medal at the Olympic Games. Chanu also became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games in the Women's 49kg category.

China's Zhihui Hou won the gold medal in the women's 49-kg weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, lifting a total of 210 kg, while Indonesia's Windy Cantika Aisah won the bronze medal. Chanu managed to lift a total of 202 kg in the women’s 49kg category to become the second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to win an Olympic medal. A new Olympic record was registered by Mirabai Chanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk.

5 years ago, Mirabai had headed to her maiden Olympic Games at Rio as one of the big Indian hopes, but she suffered a poor outing. Mirabai has the world record of 119kg in clean and jerk at the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships. The lone Indian weightlifter in Tokyo roared back to form with world championships gold in 2017 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2018. She heads into Tokyo Games after having set the world record in clean and jerk in the women’s 49kg category.