Lack of competition does make it a bit boring, says CWG 2022 champion Mirabai Chanu

Commonwealth Games (CWG), but not without a feeling and a sentiment that elite-level athletes can have but rarely show when there's lack of competition -- that it gets 'boring'. En route to a hat-trick of CWG medals, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist knocked off milestones effortlessly. The Commonwealth and Games records in 'Snatch' were the first to fall. By the time she missed lifting 115kg in her third clean and jerk (C&J) attempt, she had already rewritten the Games record in C&J as well as in the total weight.

Numbers were never the real context of these Commonwealth Games for Chanu. She lifted 12 kg more in Snatch, 17 kg more in C&J and a ridiculous 29kg more in total than the silver medallist, Marie Ranaivosoa of Mauritius.

(AP photo)Chanu was right. She called the Birmingham visit a "fight with herself" a few days before in an interview with TimesofIndia.com. Gold medal aside, did Chanu achieve what she had on her mind when she stepped into the weightlifting hall at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham? The 27-year-old was honest in her reply to that and a lot more in this interview with TimesofIndia.com. Q. Let me start with a tweet you have posted, which had a video of your mother and relatives dancing to celebrate your gold medal in Manipur. Has your consistency turned this into a ritual now?(Laughs) Until I finished my competition, I didn't get to see my mobile phone. When I got free, I saw this video sent to me by my mother. She was so happy. It's a Manipuri dance. The whole village was celebrating. Mom was really happy. I got emotional seeing this, that they love me so much and always pray for my success.

Q. You had said that your fight is with yourself at CWG 2022. And it happened like that,