Mirabai Chanu came, she waited her turn and she won the gold medal.
In one of the most expected medal wins of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Olympic silver medallist defended her gold in the women's 49kg weightlifting on Saturday with a total lift of 201 kg (88 + 113 kg), 29 kg higher than her nearest rival. This is India's first gold of the 2022 edition, and the third medal after Sanket Sargar's silver and Gururaj Pujary's bronze, both in weightlifting as well.
The 27-year-old was the favourite as her personal best (207 kg) is head and shoulders above her rivals in CWG. In snatch, she started a whopping 30kg more than the first competitor who took the field. In clean and jerk, her strongest suit, her first lift attempt was about 15 kg higher than her nearest competitor. The gold was always hers if she managed her lifts clean.
But what she tried to go for was a personal best - reach the 90kg mark in snatch. That was the only blemish on a smooth evening for her.
In weightlifting, the order of play is grouped in ascending order of the attempted weights. Mirabai Chanu is such a league of her own at the CWG, she made her three attempts back-to-back. In her first attempt in snatch, she raised the bar to 84kg - already the highest by a margin of 8 kg. On her second, she went up to 88kg - 10 kg higher. Both lifted with seeming ease and a smile.
That's when the former world champion went for her personal Mount Everest - 90kg. The lift didn't come through, she stumbled and fell to the ground. But rose with her smile intact. She will have more chances to breach it of course.
In clean and jerk, after the field had all come and done their best, she came for her consecutive attempts again. The gold medal was all but around her neck.
On the first attempt, she went for 109kg - and lifted it. This was it, officially the gold medal. (and Games record of course) The best clean and jerk attempt before her was 97kg by Hannah Kaminsky... who finished in bronze position. The silver went to Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranavosoa from Mauritius, who had a total of 172 kg.
Mirabai went for the second attempt. 113kg. And lifted, once more, with a smile. Games record again.
On her third attempt, she went for 115 kg. Just like the third snatch, she missed it and the barbell but the smile rose once more.
Defending champion Mirabai Chanu with the Commonwealth Games gold medal again.
After the event, Mirabai voiced her pleasure, saying "I'm really, really happy. I broke Commonwealth Games record in 48kg and now I have done it in 49kg. I tried my best to lift the 90kg, I was feeling confident but it didn't happen. I will ask other athletes to win the medals so that we all can celebrate together. I will aim to break my world record in clean and jerk at the World Championships. I dedicate this gold medal to my coach and my family."
CWG 2022 Day 2 live updates: Olympic medallists Mirabai, Lovlina begin
This was the 27-year-old's third medal at the CWG after a silver in Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018. This was also only the third event since her silver medal winning effort at the Tokyo Olympics. She participated in the Singapore Weightlifting International earlier in 2022 to win gold (in 55kg and not in her favoured 49kg) and followed it up with another gold in the Khelo India national ranking women's weightlifting tournament with a total lift of 191kg (86kg in snatch + 105kg in clean and jerk).
In an earlier interview with ESPN, she had spoken about how an Olympic silver has not satiated her hunger but only increased her hunger. This could be seen even in Birmingham as she went for the record.
But record or no, Mirabai Chanu once again opened India's account, of gold medal this time, with the same confidence with which she assured India of their first medal at Toyko Olympics.