A total lift of 198kg helps the Indian weightlifter finish second, while North Korea’s Ri Song Gum wins gold with a world-record 215kg
Vaishnavi Tiwari Bhopal : Nagoya, September 23, 2026: Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won her first Asian Games medal on Wednesday, securing silver in the women’s 49kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
Mirabai finished with a total lift of 198kg, including 87kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk. Her performance placed her second in a closely contested competition.
North Korea’s Ri Song Gum won the gold medal with a total of 215kg, setting a new world record in the process. Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana finished third with a total of 191kg and took the bronze medal.
A Medal Mirabai Had Been Waiting For
The Asian Games medal had been one of the few major achievements missing from Mirabai Chanu’s career. The Indian weightlifter had already established herself on the international stage with medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Mirabai first competed at the Asian Games in 2014. She returned to the competition in 2023 but finished fourth in the women’s 49kg category at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She also missed the 2018 edition because of injury.
Her silver medal in Nagoya therefore marked an important moment in her career and finally gave her an Asian Games medal after years of waiting.
How Did Mirabai Secure the Silver?
Mirabai started her snatch competition with 83kg and then successfully lifted 85kg and 87kg in her next attempts. Her best snatch stood at 87kg.
In the clean and jerk, she successfully lifted 107kg before completing 111kg in her next attempt. This took her overall total to 198kg, enough to secure second place.
Although Ri Song Gum was ahead with a much higher total, Mirabai’s performance kept her firmly in medal contention and secured India’s silver in the event.
What Makes the Medal Special?
The result is significant for Indian weightlifting as well. Mirabai’s silver ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. The last Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Asian Games was Karnam Malleswari, who won bronze in 1998.
For Mirabai, the Nagoya silver adds another major achievement to an already successful international career. After missing out on an Asian Games medal in her previous appearances, she finally managed to finish on the podium.