India’s Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won gold medal at World Weightlifting Championships held in Anaheim, United States. She achieved this feat by lifting new world record of 194kg – 85kg snatch and 109kg clean-and-jerk in the 48 kg weight category. Thailand’s Sukcharoen Thunya won silver medal with total lift of 193, while Segura Ana Iris won bronze medal with 182kg lift.
With this victory, Mirabai Chanu became first Indian in over two decades to win the medal at the Championships. She is only second Indian weightlifter after Karnam Malleswari to achieve this feat. Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleshwari had won the top prize in worlds twice in 1994 and 1995.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
She is Indian female weightlifter born on 8 August 1994. She hails from Manipur and currently is employed with the Indian Railways. She had won medals in Commonwealth games and silver medal in women’s 48 kg weight class at 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. She had qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics in women’s 48 kg category. However, she failed to finish the event as she failed to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in clean & jerk section.