The 31-year-old athlete retained her women’s 48kg Commonwealth Games crown at the 2026 edition of the event.
Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu paid tribute to her family and long-time coach Vijay Sharma after securing a historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal, saying the triumph was made even more meaningful by the years of dedication, injuries and mental battles she overcame along the way.
Chanu successfully retained her women’s 48kg title at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Sunday, completing a historic hat-trick of gold medals following her victories at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Her win also delivered India’s first gold medal of the Glasgow Games.
Looking back on her journey, the 31-year-old credited her family’s unwavering support, saying they remained by her side through years of challenges, setbacks and injuries.
“My family has supported me a lot until today. I have faced many injuries, but my family has always stood by me,” she said.
Chanu also expressed her gratitude to Sharma, whose guidance and support have been instrumental in helping her maintain consistent performances at the highest level over the years.
“From the very beginning, there have been many areas where we have had to work hard and remain focused — whether it is preparing for the Games or any championship, improving performance and maintaining consistency. Vijay sir has always supported me throughout this journey,” she said.
The Indian weightlifting star said she was overcome with emotion after the achievement, admitting that her priority was simply to complete the lift planned by her coach rather than pursue a record-breaking performance.
“I am extremely happy and also very emotional. I made many sacrifices and battled stress and injuries to reach the Games and win a medal. I did not know I would create a Commonwealth record. My only focus was completing the lift assigned by my coach,” she told ANI.
Chanu secured the gold medal with a dominant 22kg lead over Nigeria’s Ruth Nyong, who claimed silver with a total lift of 168kg. The victory also saw Chanu become the first female weightlifter in Commonwealth Games history to win three gold medals.
