Who is Mirabai Chanu?
What's the story
India's Mirabai Chanu clinched gold medal at the World Weightlifting Championship, a first weightlifting gold for the country in more than two decades, after Karnam Malleswari's 1995 gold. Chanu achieved this feat by lifting 85 kg in snatch and 109 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 194 kg in the women's 48 kg category at the tournament in Anaheim, USA.
Information
Top weightlifting nations fail to take part in Championship
Some of the top weightlifting nations like Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, did not participate in the 2017 World weightlifting Championships due to doping related issues.
Athlete summary
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu's bio
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu was born on 8th August,1994 in Imphal East, Manipur. Inspired by Kunjarani Devi, the 23-year-old began weightlifting in 2007. Widely considered as a successor to 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari, Chanu won gold in junior levels at South Asian Junior Games and 2011 International Youth Championship, before rising to national prominence with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medal.
Achievements
National records at Olympic selection trials
Chanu also won gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games. On her way to Olympic qualificatio,n she broke two national records- first she broke a 12-year-old record held by veteran weightlifter and her coach Kunjarani Devi by lifting 192 kg, largest total in 48 kg category; second she broke her own record by lifting 85 kg in the snatch event.