Mirabai Chanu wins third successive CWG gold with 190kg total, breaks snatch record in Glasgow

Mirabai Chanu walked into the arena in Glasgow as the clear favourite. She left it with two records, a gold medal and her eyes already on the next target.

The 31-year-old from Manipur claimed her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold on Sunday, July 26, finishing with a total of 190kg, 85kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk. The performance gave India its first gold of the 2026 Games and added a fourth CWG medal to Mirabai's collection.

How the snatch unfolded

Mirabai was the last athlete to take the stage. Her opening lift in the snatch was not clean, but she was unfazed. A brief conversation with her coaches backstage was followed by a second attempt at 82kg, one that broke the Games record and drew loud applause from the crowd.

She was not done. Coming back for a third attempt at 85kg, Mirabai executed a perfect lift to shatter both the Games and Commonwealth records. The previous Games record in the 48kg category had stood at 79kg. The Commonwealth record, her own mark of 84kg, set in Ahmedabad last year, also fell.

Drama in the clean and jerk

With Nigeria's Ruth Nyong having cleared 93kg in the clean and jerk, Mirabai needed to hit her target of 105kg to secure gold. Her first attempt was cancelled. She stepped back, regrouped and returned with a different expression, no smile this time, just focus.

She let out a war cry before approaching the bar, sending the Indian contingent into a frenzy. What followed was textbook Mirabai: the clean executed with control, the breathing rhythm locked in, the bar raised cleanly above her head and held. The judges confirmed it. The arena erupted. The smile returned.

The real goal: Asian Games

Mirabai made no secret of where her priorities lie. She had spoken before the competition about keeping something in reserve for the Asian Games in September.

"I will not give my full effort in the Commonwealth Games. My focus is the Asian Games, which are very near. I am training according to that. So my performance and effort here will depend on that plan," she had said ahead of her Glasgow appearance.

A third successive Commonwealth gold, two records and a 190kg total, and she wasn't even at full throttle.