Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter from Manipur who competes in the women's 49 kg category. She is best known for winning the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming only the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleswari. She has also been world champion (2017) and Commonwealth Games champion, and is regarded as one of India's most successful weightlifters.
| Full name | Saikhom Mirabai Chanu |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 August 1994, Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East district, Manipur |
| Sport | Weightlifting |
| Weight category | 48 kg (earlier), 49 kg (current) |
| Coach | Vijay Sharma |
| Employer | Indian Railways (appointed Chief Ticket Inspector, Northeast Frontier Railway) |
| Major honours | Padma Shri (2018), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna |
| Notable medal | Silver, Tokyo Olympics 2020 (held 2021) |
Mirabai Chanu was born into a modest family in Nongpok Kakching, a village in Imphal East district of Manipur. She is reported to have shown unusual physical strength from childhood, an attribute that drew her towards weightlifting. She began formal training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Imphal under coach Anita Chanu, and was later guided at the senior level by national coach Vijay Sharma. Kunjarani Devi, the veteran Manipuri weightlifter, was an early inspiration.
Chanu rose through age-group competitions in the late 2000s. She represented India at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the 48 kg category, winning the silver medal. The same year she competed at the Asian Games in Incheon.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Chanu competed in the 48 kg category but failed to register a valid total after being unable to complete her clean and jerk attempts. The setback became a turning point in her preparation.
At the 2017 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, United States, Chanu won the gold medal in the 48 kg category with a total of 194 kg. She became the first Indian woman to win a world title in weightlifting since Karnam Malleswari.
At the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, Chanu won the gold medal in the 48 kg category with a Games-record total of 196 kg.
At the Tokyo Olympics, held in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chanu lifted 87 kg in snatch and 115 kg in clean and jerk for a total of 202 kg in the 49 kg category, winning the silver medal. The medal was India's first at the Games and her clean and jerk lift of 115 kg was an Olympic record at the time.
At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, Chanu won the gold medal in the 49 kg category, lifting a Games-record total of 201 kg.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Silver, Commonwealth Games, Glasgow (48 kg) |
| 2016 | Competed at Rio Olympics; did not finish |
| 2017 | Gold, World Championships, Anaheim (48 kg) |
| 2018 | Gold, Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast (48 kg); awarded Padma Shri and Khel Ratna |
| 2020 | Bronze, Asian Championships, Tashkent |
| 2021 | Silver, Tokyo Olympics (49 kg) |
| 2022 | Gold, Commonwealth Games, Birmingham (49 kg); Bronze (CJ), World Championships, Bogotá |
Chanu's success has placed Indian women's weightlifting on the global map and has been widely credited with reviving interest in the sport in India. Her medal at Tokyo, won on the opening day of competition, ended a 21-year gap since Karnam Malleswari's bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in weightlifting for India. She is also seen as a prominent sporting figure from the Northeast, particularly Manipur, which has produced several leading women athletes including Mary Kom and Kunjarani Devi.