Mirabai Chanu wins Silver in World Weightlifting Championships to end India's 3-year wait for Medal

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Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu secured the silver medal in the women's 48kg category at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships in Norway.

She lifted a total of 199kg, comprising 84kg in the snatch and 115kg in the clean and jerk, marking her third podium finish at the World Championships. This effort ended India's three-year wait for a medal in the competition.

Chanu, 31, struggled during the snatch phase, successfully lifting 84kg but failing twice at 87kg. Despite this setback, she made a remarkable comeback in her favored clean and jerk, clearing all three attempts with ease - 109kg, 112kg, and a final lift of 115kg. The 115kg lift was particularly significant, as it was the first time in four years that she managed this weight in international competition, dating back to her silver-medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The gold medal was claimed by North Korea's Ri Song Gum, who dominated the event with a total lift of 213kg (91kg snatch and 122kg clean and jerk), setting new world records in total and clean and jerk. Thailand's Thanyathon Sukcharoen took bronze with a total of 198kg.

Mirabai Chanu had moved down from the 49kg category to compete in the 48kg division. Her coach, Vijay Sharma, had set a target of surpassing 200kg, indicating the ambition Chanu and her team carried into the championships. This was her second international outing since the 2024 Paris Olympics, following a strategic rest to recover from the high-intensity training cycle for the Olympics.

Chanu's journey at the World Championships has been notable. She is a former world champion in this category, having won gold in 2017, and secured silver in 2022. Her performance in Norway adds to India's rich history in the sport, marking the country's 18th medal at the World Weightlifting Championships, all won by female weightlifters.