Mirabai Chanu wins historic third straight Commonwealth Games gold

Mirabai Chanu (Pic: PTI)

Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu expressed that she felt 'extremely happy and very emotional' after securing a historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal, sharing that years of personal sacrifices, physical injuries, and mental hurdles made the milestone more meaningful.

The Indian weightlifting icon clinched the women's 48kg crown at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Sunday, completing an extraordinary hat-trick of titles following her victories at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Her gold-medal performance also delivered India's first gold of the Glasgow Games.

Looking back at the landmark moment, Chanu admitted that her path to a gold medal required overcoming significant hurdles.

"I am extremely happy and also very emotional. I made so many sacrifices and overcame stress and injuries to reach the Games and win a medal. I didn't know I would set a Commonwealth record. I was only focused on completing the lift assigned by my coach," she told ANI.

Records tumble as Mirabai Chanu wins another Commonwealth Gold

The Tokyo Olympic silver medallist set the tone early in the competition, establishing authority right away by setting a new Commonwealth record with an 85kg effort in the snatch segment.

Moving to the clean and jerk, Chanu encountered a temporary setback when she missed her opening 82kg attempt, but she responded swiftly by locking it in on her second turn before successfully executing an 85kg lift on her third attempt to write a new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth record.

She brought her performance to a thrilling finish by lifting 105kg, locking down the gold medal in emphatic fashion and joining a select group of Indian athletes who have captured three straight Commonwealth Games gold medals.

This latest success adds another major chapter to Chanu's decorated career, which features an Olympic silver medal alongside a World Championship crown.

Her gold continued a promising opening run for India's weightlifting team in Glasgow. Earlier that day, Chanambam Rishikanta Singh claimed a silver medal in the men's 60kg event, with Raja Muthupandi adding a second silver in the men's 65kg category shortly after.

Chanu's win ensured the Indian national anthem resounded for the first time at the Glasgow Games.

(With inputs from ANI)