Mirabai Chanu
Weightlifter and Olympic silver medallist
- Age
- 32 yrs
- Birthday in 284 days
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 2018
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Mirabai Chanu is a weightlifter from Manipur who won silver in the women’s 49 kg category at the Tokyo Olympics, India’s first medal of those Games. She was world champion in 2017 and has won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Biography
Carrying firewood
Mirabai grew up in a village near Imphal, where as a child she carried bundles of firewood that her older brother struggled to lift — a story often told of her early strength. Inspired by Manipuri weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, she began training in Imphal, travelling long distances by truck to the training centre.
Setback and comeback
She won Commonwealth silver in 2014 but failed to register a valid lift at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a crushing disappointment. She came back to win the 2017 World Championships, India’s first world weightlifting title in more than twenty years, and Commonwealth gold in 2018.
Tokyo silver
On the first day of competition at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021 she won silver in the 49 kg category, India’s first Olympic weightlifting medal since Karnam Malleswari in 2000. She won another Commonwealth gold in 2022 and finished fourth at Paris 2024.
Honours
Mirabai received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri in 2018.
Timeline
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1994
Born in Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East, Manipur
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2014
Commonwealth Games silver
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2016
Rio Olympics disappointment
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2017
World champion
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2018
Commonwealth gold; Khel Ratna; Padma Shri
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2021
Olympic silver in Tokyo
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2022
Second Commonwealth gold
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2024
Fourth at Paris Olympics
Awards and honours
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Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
2018
-
Padma Shri
2018
Did you know?
-
1
As a child she carried firewood her brother could not lift.
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2
She won India’s first medal of the Tokyo Olympics.
-
3
Her idol was weightlifter Kunjarani Devi.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Mirabai Chanu?
Mirabai Chanu is a weightlifter from Manipur who won silver in the women’s 49 kg category at the Tokyo Olympics, India’s first medal of those Games. She was world champion in 2017 and has won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
How old is Mirabai Chanu?
Mirabai Chanu is 32 years old, born on 8 August 1994 in Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East, Manipur.
Where is Mirabai Chanu from?
Mirabai Chanu was born in Nongpok Kakching, Imphal East, Manipur.
What is Mirabai Chanu known for?
Mirabai Chanu is best known for Silver in the 49 kg class at Tokyo 2020; 2017 world champion.
What awards has Mirabai Chanu received?
Notable honours include Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2018), Padma Shri (2018).
References
- Mirabai Chanu — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mirabai Chanu — Olympics.com athlete profile. Olympics.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mirabai Chanu — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mirabai Chanu (Q17415291) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Mirabai Chanu”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mirabai Chanu.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mirabai-chanu
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