Mirabai Chanu Wins Elusive Asian Games Silver Medal

Mirabai Chanu ended her 12-year pursuit of an Asian Games medal on Wednesday, winning silver in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category with a total of 198kg. The Indian lifter posted 87kg in snatch and 110kg in clean and jerk to claim a medal she described as a long-held dream.

The result marked India’s first Asian Games weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari won silver in 1998. For Chanu, who previously won Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021, the Asian Games podium filled the major gap she felt remained in her collection.

“Finally, I have got the medal that I wanted, which I have been chasing for 12 years. I am feeling very light now because the pressure is completely gone from me. This is my dream Asian Games medal. I feel my life is complete now,” Chanu said after the event.

A long-awaited medal in the women’s 49kg event

Chanu returned to Japan five years after her Olympic silver in Tokyo and added another silver medal on the same soil. She said she had been thinking about an Asian Games medal since entering Olympic competition and had arrived determined to make the podium regardless of the circumstances.

“I won a silver medal in Tokyo (Olympics) and now I have a silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan. I’ve been dreaming of winning an Asian Games medal since I stepped into the Olympics,” she said.

The 32-year-old said the Asian Games carries major significance in weightlifting because many of the world’s leading lifters come from Asia. She also reflected on the pressure she had felt at previous editions of the continental event, saying she had questioned what went wrong before or during every Asian Games. This time, she said, her focus was on ensuring she won a medal.

Chanu’s 198kg total came from an 87kg snatch and a 110kg clean and jerk. She then attempted 111kg in clean and jerk, despite saying that a lower lift would have been enough to secure silver. The decision reflected her desire to finish with her best possible effort rather than settle for the minimum required for a podium place.

“I wanted to lift more than 110kg (in clean and jerk). I didn’t know how much the Indonesian (bronze medallist) would lift. I knew the gold is not there for me. But I just wanted to give my best performance. I didn’t want to win a medal by lifting less,” she said.

Attention turns to a possible move to 53kg

Chanu’s Asian Games silver also arrives as weightlifting prepares for a change in Olympic weight categories. The 49kg division will not feature at the 2028 Olympics, where the 53kg category will be used instead. Chanu said no final decision has been made on the precise plan for her preparations in the higher division, with qualification set to begin from December.

She explained that her move would require a gradual adjustment, rather than simply adding body weight. Chanu said she usually maintains around 1.5kg above the 49kg limit in training, but that managing her body weight has been difficult alongside the demands of weight training and heavy loads.

“If we gain weight suddenly, our performance can also go down. Strength will also not be that much. We are thinking of increasing the weight along with strength,” she said. Chanu added that she would monitor her diet and work on making her muscles ready for the added weight class.

For now, however, the immediate outcome is the medal that had remained beyond her reach for more than a decade. Chanu said expectations can create pressure, particularly when she worries about making a mistake, but she credited her confidence and belief in her own strength for helping her overcome those moments. Her silver in Japan has brought that long chase to an end.