Mirabai Chanu ready for some heavy lifting at CWG 2022

Commonwealth Games. The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist weightlifter is aiming to re-write her own world record in Birmingham by lifting a record 90kg in snatch and another 120kg in clean and jerk to defend her Gold Coast CWG title won four years ago. The diminutive Manipuri weightlifter has, since her Gold Coast exploits, come a long way, improving upon her performance massively in clean & jerk, and holds the world record (in 49kg category) of 119kg she lifted at the Asian Championships in April last year. Her personal best is a total of 205kg, but it’s the snatch where she’s still looking to master the technique. Her personal best of 87kg in snatch (2019 Worlds in USA’s Anaheim) doesn’t justify her immense talent. Mirabai will headline the country’s 15-member weightlifting contingent which will contest in 14 different categories at the CWG. The former World champion and the rest of the squad has been camping in Birmingham since June 24, acclimatising to the conditions and undergoing a preparatory camp.

India had topped the weightlifting chart in Gold Coast as the best-performing nation, winning a total of nine medals, including five gold. Mirabai will be in action on the opening day of the weightlifting competitions at the NEC Arena on July 30, along with Bindyarani Devi in the women’s 55kg category. For Mirabai, the two-time CWG medallist, defending her title in Birmingham shouldn’t pose a problem. Her nearest rival, Nigeria’s Stella Kingsley, has a personal best of 168kg (72+96kg), which is 37kg shy of the Indian’s PB. Since Tokyo, Mirabai has competed only once. In February – after a gap of seven months during which she missed the Commonwealth and World Championships in November 2021 – she had participated at the