Mirabai Chanu wins third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold in weightlifting

Mirabai Chanu has done it again. The Indian weightlifter won her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow on Sunday, cementing her status as one of the country's most decorated athletes.

She lifted 85kg in the snatch event, a new record that left competitors struggling to keep pace. The crowd at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre erupted as the barbell locked overhead.

A hat-trick for the history books

Chanu first struck gold at the Gold Coast Games in 2018. She repeated the feat in Birmingham four years later. Now, with Glasgow 2026, she has completed a rare hat-trick of gold medals at the Commonwealth level.

Each victory has come with a higher bar. Her 85kg lift surpassed her own previous Games record, showing a steady upward trajectory in her performance. Coaches and officials on site described the lift as technically flawless.

Records tumble in Glasgow

The 85kg snatch was not the only mark to fall. Chanu's total lift across snatch and clean-and-jerk also set a new Games benchmark, though officials have not yet released the exact combined figure.

Competitors from Canada and Nigeria finished with silver and bronze respectively, but neither came close to matching Chanu's explosive power on the platform. The Indian flag went up to the sound of the national anthem for the third time in her Commonwealth career.

India's early medal boost

Chanu's gold is India's first medal of the 2026 Games, giving the contingent a strong start. The weightlifting squad has traditionally been a reliable source of medals for India, and this performance raises expectations for the rest of the competition.

Other Indian lifters are set to compete in the coming days. The team management expressed confidence that Chanu's record-breaking run would inspire younger athletes on the squad.

Evolution of a champion

Chanu's relationship with the Commonwealth Games has deepened over three editions. In 2018, she was a rising star. By 2022, she was a proven champion. Now, she is a veteran carrying the hopes of a nation.

Her journey has not been without setbacks. A disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 tested her resilience. But she bounced back, using that failure as fuel for subsequent triumphs. Glasgow 2026 is the latest chapter in that comeback story.

With this gold, Chanu joins an elite group of Indian athletes who have dominated a single event across multiple Games. Her name now sits alongside legends in Indian sports history.

All eyes will now be on the rest of India's medal events in Glasgow. Chanu's golden start sets a high bar, but the weightlifting arena has shown that records are meant to be broken.