Forde (Norway), Oct 3 (NationPress) Olympic medalist and renowned Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has earned a silver medal in the 49kg category at the World Championships. This achievement marks her third medal at this prestigious event and her second silver as a former world champion.

Returning to competitive action after preparing for Paris 2024, Mirabai showcased her strength by lifting a total of 199kg (comprising 84kg in the snatch and 115kg in the clean and jerk) at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in August.

The 2017 world champion and 2022 silver medallist faced challenges with two unsuccessful attempts at 87kg. Her initial 84kg lift appeared somewhat challenging, but she regained her momentum during the clean and jerk phase, successfully completing all three lifts.

In the Clean and Jerk segment, Mirabai excelled with a first lift of 109kg, followed by lifts of 112kg and 115kg, the same weight she lifted at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago.

The gold medal was claimed by Ri Song Gum of North Korea with a remarkable total lift of 213kg (comprising 91kg in the snatch and 122kg in the clean and jerk), setting new world records in both total lift and clean and jerk. The bronze medal went to Thanyathon Sukcharoen from Thailand, who achieved a total lift of 198kg (comprising 88kg in snatch and 110kg in clean & jerk).

The 31-year-old athlete previously won a gold medal in the 48kg category at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim and secured silver in the 49kg category during the 2022 competition in Bogota.

India has dispatched a 14-member contingent to the World Weightlifting Championships 2025, which will continue until October 11. This event also serves as a qualifying ground for the upcoming Commonwealth Games next year.

In the women's category, alongside Mirabai, other competitors include Koyel Bar (53kg), Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam (58kg), Nirupama Devi Seram (63kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Vanshita Verma (86kg), and Mehak Sharma (86kg+).

Bindyarani, Nirupama, and Mehak all secured silver medals, while Harjinder and Vanshita earned bronze at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships held in August.

Meanwhile, the men's team is led by Lovepreet Singh, a bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games, who also won bronze at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships earlier this year. Ajith Narayana and Ajaya Babu Valluri both won gold medals.