Manipur Weightlifter Padma Shree Mirabai Chanu Sets a New World Record

Guwahati: Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has set a new world record on Saturday by lifting 119 kg in clean and jerk at the Asian Weightlifting Championship held at Taskent, Uzbekistan. She bagged the bronze medal at the event.

She created a new world record and improved on her own national record of 118 kg. She lifted a total of 205 kg (86 kg snatch + 119 kg Clean and Jerk) at the event in Tashkent. She also confirmed her Tokyo Olympic spot as she has now competed in the six mandatory qualifying events. Read more

Chanu's previous best was 203 kg, which she achieved in the National Championships in Kolkata in February 2020.

Chanu hails from Manipur. The weightlifter began her clean and jerk with a 113 kg and then lifted 117 kg successfully, recording her personal best. She improved her own performance by hoisting 119 kg, which is more than twice her body weight.

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju posted a tweet on her:

In the Asian Weightlifting Championship, the gold medal went to Hou Zhihui of China, who created a new world record in snatch and total weight with an effort of 213 kg (96g + 117 kg) while Jiang Huihua bagged the silver, lifting 207 kg (89 kg + 118 kg) in the gold level Olympic qualifier.

Chanu finished fourth best, behind Zhihui (96 kg), Huihua (89 kg), and Aisah Windy Cantika (87 kg) of Indonesia. Read more

As part of her best performances in the global arena, Chanu had won the silver medal in the women's 48kg weight class at the Commonwealth Games, 2014 held in Glasglow. She broke the Games record as she won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, 2018 held in Gold Coast. In 2017, she won the gold at the World Weightlifting Championships at Anaheim, US. Read more

She has been honoured with Padma Shree, the fourth highest civilian award of India and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the year 2018.