As the aroma of sizzling omelettes filled the morning air at her base camp, Mirabai Chanu found herself surrounded by the next generation of lifters – wide-eyed 13 and 14-year-olds dreaming of Olympic glory. But for Mirabai, now 31, the flashbacks were vivid. “Pain,” she said, flipping an omelette, “has been my only constant companion since I was their age.”
It wasn’t a poetic exaggeration. It was a stark truth – one written in surgery scars, in relentless rehab sessions, and in the cruel fourth-place finishes that shadowed her most recent years on the big stage.
But on Thursday in Forde, Norway, in a half-empty arena echoing with effort and silence, Mirabai finally reclaimed her place on the international podium. Lifting a total of 199kg (84kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk), she clinched a silver medal at the 2025 IWF World Championships – her third Worlds medal, but perhaps her most hard-earned.
Phenomenal lift by @mirabai_chanu to win a silver medal at the #WorldChampionships. Mirabai, 48kg, lifts iron more than twice her body weight to win a third World Championships medal – and second silver. pic.twitter.com/Q20Bvdw9zR
---Advertisement---— Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) October 2, 2025
Back From the Brink
The journey here wasn’t just physical. After her historic silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Mirabai’s body slowly began to betray her. Injury after injury, including a critical one at the 2023 Asian Games, saw her miss major lifts and podiums. The heartbreak culminated in a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, lifting the same 199kg that won her silver here – a bitter irony that speaks volumes about the evolving competitiveness of the sport.
Coach Vijay Sharma, who has been by her side through this gruelling decade-long journey, knew the break after Paris was non-negotiable. “Her body needed healing,” he said before leaving for Forde. “She was pushing too hard for too long.”
The plan was simple: let her heal, recalibrate, and return. Their target for Norway was an ambitious 200kg total – enough to seal a podium finish in most scenarios. They came just 1kg short, but secured the prize they had long chased.
The Defining Moment
If the snatch segment was any indication, the odds weren’t in Mirabai’s favour. She managed just one successful attempt – her opener at 84kg. Two failed lifts followed, and by the halfway mark, she found herself trailing Thai lifter Thanyathon Sukcharoen by 4kg.
It was familiar territory. Once again, she’d need to mount a comeback in her strongest suit – the clean and jerk.
She didn’t miss a single lift.
As Thanyathon faltered at 113kg after managing only 110, the door opened. But it wasn’t a gift – it was a challenge. Mirabai would need to lift 115kg, a number she hadn’t touched since her iconic lift in Tokyo four years ago.
As she approached the platform, the weight on her shoulders wasn’t just physical, it was psychological. Years of disappointment. Years of being told she wasn’t the same lifter. Years of pain management, of surgeries, of pushing limits.
And yet, she squatted down, iron twice her weight pressing against her. A guttural scream echoed through the hall as she rose and lunged forward. Clean. The jerk. A moment of suspense.
Then: three white lights.
The Fighter Returns
That lift – more than the medal – was Mirabai’s redemption.
She jogged down the ramp and fell into the arms of Sharma, a rare smile cutting through her usual stoic demeanour. It wasn’t just a celebration of victory. It was a celebration of survival.
The gold belonged to North Korea’s Ri Song Gum, whose staggering 213kg total (91kg snatch, 122kg clean and jerk) put her in a league of her own. But the fight for silver and bronze was fierce, and Mirabai – once again – proved her mettle when it mattered most.
Her silver in Forde is not just a medal. It’s a story of resilience, a reminder that greatness doesn’t always arrive with perfect form or ideal preparation. Sometimes, it shows up bloodied, bandaged, but unbroken.
Legacy Beyond the Podium
Mirabai knows her body may not allow her many more such lifts. But on that day in Norway, she reminded everyone, especially the teenagers back at her basecamp – what champions are truly made of.
