India’s Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu scripted history once again at the World Weightlifting Championships 2025 in Førde, Norway, by winning the silver medal in the women’s 48 kg category. Chanu lifted a total of 199 kg (84 kg snatch + 115 kg clean and jerk), ending India’s three-year-long wait for a medal at the championships.

North Korea’s Ri Song Gum clinched the gold medal with a commanding 213 kg total, while China’s Thanyathan bagged the bronze. Despite missing out on gold by 12 kg, Chanu became only the third Indian woman athlete to earn more than two medals at the World Championships.

How She Won the Medal

Chanu began strongly in the snatch, lifting 84 kg on her first attempt, which helped her secure bronze in that round. However, she failed twice at 87 kg. In the clean and jerk, she delivered a flawless sequence — 109 kg, followed by 112 kg, and finally 115 kg — ensuring her silver overall with a combined lift of 199 kg.

A Career of Historic Firsts

This medal takes Chanu’s World Championship tally to three, following her gold in 2017 and silver in 2022. With this feat, she now joins legends Kunjarani Devi and Karnam Malleswari as the only Indian women to have more than two medals at the Worlds. India now holds 18 total medals at the competition — 3 gold, 10 silver, and 5 bronze — all achieved by women athletes.

Recent Form and Future Prospects

Just last month, Chanu won gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad with a total lift of 193 kg, earning her direct qualification for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Her latest success in Norway reaffirms her status as one of India’s greatest weightlifters and a consistent global performer.