Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu could not hold back her tears as the Indian national anthem echoed through the arena after she clinched a historic third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal, describing it as one of the most emotional moments of her career.
The 31-year-old became the first Indian to complete a weightlifting hat-trick at the Commonwealth Games after winning the women’s 48kg title at Glasgow 2026, adding to her gold medals from Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022.
Reflecting on the medal ceremony, Mirabai said hearing the national anthem after delivering India’s first gold medal of the Games overwhelmed her with emotion.
“When our National Anthem is played, tears come automatically. They are tears of happiness because I won the first gold medal for India,” Mirabai told reporters.
Goosebumps. Every Single Time. 🥹
As the Tricolour rises, the Indian National Anthem echoes through Glasgow for Mirabai Chanu’s historic gold.🥇
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Family and coach behind historic success
Mirabai dedicated the achievement to her family, saying their unwavering support helped her overcome injuries and difficult phases throughout her career.
“My family has supported me a lot till today. I have suffered many injuries, but my family always stood by me,” she said.
She also credited long-time coach Vijay Sharma for helping her maintain the consistency that has made her one of India’s greatest weightlifters.
“From the beginning, we have worked on staying focused and maintaining consistency, whether it’s the Commonwealth Games or any other championship. Vijay sir has always supported me through that journey,” she added.
🎥 | Mirabai Chanu gets emotional as she talks about the support from her family and coach. She won the Gold Medal in the Women’s 48kg Weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games.@mirabai_chanu |#MirabaiChanu #CommonwealthGames #Glasgow #TheStatesman
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Fighting back after early setback
Mirabai revealed that the competition did not begin according to plan after she missed her opening attempt, forcing a rethink midway through the event.
“We were not planning to push so much in these Games, but after my first failed attempt, which was my own mistake, we had to reassess. We also wanted to understand what improvements were still needed,” she said.
She added that cutting down to the 48kg category had been one of the biggest challenges of her preparation.
“I have controlled my body weight for a long time, and bringing it down to 48kg has been very difficult.”
Despite the early setback, Mirabai responded in style by setting a new Commonwealth Games snatch record before comfortably lifting 105kg in the clean and jerk to seal the gold, capping another memorable chapter in her glittering career.