CWG 2026: Mirabai Chanu Completes Hat-Trick Of Commonwealth Games Gold Medals

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India's medal charge at the 2026 Commonwealth Games got its golden start on Sunday, as star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu delivered a dominant performance to win the women's 48kg title, handing the country its first gold of the Games.

Photo Credit: Instagram: @mirabai_chanu

A Hat-Trick of Golds, A Fourth CWG Medal

Competing at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow, Chanu was in imperious form, finishing with a combined lift of 190kg - 85kg in snatch and 105kg in clean and jerk - breaking the Games record in both individual lifts as well as the total. She finished a commanding 22kg clear of the rest of the field.

The win marks Chanu's third straight Commonwealth Games gold, following her triumphs at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Counting her silver at Glasgow 2014, this is her fourth Commonwealth Games medal overall - a remarkable run of consistency spanning four editions of the Games.

How the Final Unfolded

In the snatch category, Chanu opened with an unsuccessful attempt at 82kg before recovering to clear the same weight on her second try. She then produced a flawless lift of 85kg on her final attempt, setting a new Commonwealth Games snatch record.

The clean and jerk followed a similar script. After failing to convert her opening attempt at 105kg, Chanu came back strongly on her second attempt to seal the gold and set a fresh Games record in the process.
Nigeria's Ruth Asuquo Nyong took the silver with a total of 168kg, while Malaysia's Irene Jane Henry settled for bronze with 167kg - both well behind Chanu's dominant total.

India's Weightlifting Momentum

Chanu's gold capped a strong start to India's weightlifting campaign in Glasgow. Earlier in the day, Rishikanta Singh had opened the account with a silver medal in the men's 60kg event, finishing with a combined lift of 264kg despite reportedly competing through an injury. Mathupandi Raja added another silver in the men's 65kg category.
With these results, India's overall medal tally at the Games climbed to four - one gold, two silver, and one bronze - with para-powerlifter Jhandu Kumar having opened the country's account with a bronze on the opening day of competition.

The Road Here

Chanu's Glasgow triumph was built on a strong build-up. In 2025, she had returned to competitive action at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, winning gold with a total lift of 193kg and securing her direct qualification for the Glasgow Games. That performance came after a difficult stretch that included a fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Now, with her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist has further cemented her status as one of India's most consistent and decorated weightlifters - and given the country's contingent in Glasgow a memorable start to the Games.