Mirabai Chanu created history as she won a silver medal in women’s 49kg weightlifting to get India on the board at the Tokyo Olympics and become just the 15th individual medallist in the country’s history.
Mirabai Chanu ended India’s 21-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics by clinching a silver medal in the 49kg category to open the country’s account here on Saturday.
The 26-year-old lifted a total of 202kg (87kg + 115kg) to better Karnam Malleswari’s bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With this, she exorcised the ghosts of the 2016 Games where she had failed to rise up to the expectations.
But as all champion athletes do, she bounced back in style to climb to the pinnacle of the sport five years later.
Here are some of the best reactions to Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal.
Silver medal! 🥈
— Olympics (@Olympics) July 24, 2021
After a tough battle, Chanu Saikhom Mirabai finishes in second place in the #Weightlifting women's -49kg and earns the first medal for India at #Tokyo2020@iwfnet @WeAreTeamIndia pic.twitter.com/zLF5Et6NLC
Could not have asked for a happier start to @Tokyo2020! India is elated by @mirabai_chanu’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian. #Cheer4India #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/B6uJtDlaJo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2021
SILVER FOR MIRABAI!!
— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) July 24, 2021
We're off to a great start as our star weightlifter @mirabai_chanu clinches the first Silver for India at the #TokyoOlympics in the 49kg category.@PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik @ddsportschannel @WeAreTeamIndia @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/s0r96b7LaK
Met @kmmalleswari at an event yesterday. The first woman medallist for India. She was so so sure we’ll win a medal today. Sure she couldn’t be happier it came in her discipline 🏋🏽♀️and the fact that our super @mirabai_chanu’s opened the account with a silver. What lifting!! Fabbb pic.twitter.com/tYk1K8r1ir
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) July 24, 2021
Heartiest congratulations to Mirabai Chanu for starting the medal tally for India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by winning silver medal in weightlifting.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 24, 2021
For Mirabai Chanu, Riowas a disappointment. A missed opportunity. A debut that didn't go to plan. She began her path to rectifying that then & there. Five years later, she is India's second woman to win an #Olympics silver. An athlete who just worked harder and harder and harder pic.twitter.com/6o2dQYNXpA
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 24, 2021
Such a terrific beginning to India's Olympic campaign at Tokyo...
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) July 24, 2021
Silver for weightlifter @mirabai_chanu....
And tiny Manipur only enhances its formidable reputation for sporting excellence... pic.twitter.com/ucYJJtDne9
Our first medal on Day One and what a warrior to bring it home! @mirabai_chanu, that Silver is worth its weight in Gold. 🥈 #TeamIndia #Tokyo2020
— Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) July 24, 2021
Off the mark at #TokyoOlympics2021 congratulations #MirabaiChanu claiming silver in #Weightlifting an inspiration for the nation already, just the beginning, many more to come 🙌🏼💪🏼 go #TeamIndia
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) July 24, 2021
With Chanu, you knew. She had been putting up the big numbers for a while and breaking world records. But mostly you knew because of how she built herself up brick-by-brick. A special triumph. Not only because of where she comes from but because of where she is going.
— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) July 24, 2021
Congratulations #MirabaiChanu on bringing home the Silver medal. Proud of you! 🙌🏾 #Tokyo2020@mirabai_chanu @Olympics
— Jhulan Goswami (@JhulanG10) July 24, 2021
It is a great start for India. Congratulations @mirabai_chanu for winning the silver medal in Tokyo Olympics. #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/bRQk42St4l
— Akhil kumar (@Akhilkumarboxer) July 24, 2021
Well done #MirabaiChanu 👏👏
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) July 24, 2021
And it rained Silver in #Olympic. #MirabaiChanu is the star. pic.twitter.com/YS8uPGu7cX
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) July 24, 2021
Heartiest congratulations to @mirabai_chanu on winning silver in the women's 49kg weightlifting! You have made us proud.
— Manish Patel (@iManishPatelBJP) July 24, 2021
This is our first medal at the #Tokyo2020 ! Keep going!#Weightlifting #Cheer4India #Olympics #IND pic.twitter.com/4zw36PEjhl
Congratulations #MirabaiChanu on making us proud and bringing us glory.
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 24, 2021
Our first medal at the #TokyoOlympics2020 , a 🥈 in the Women's 49kg weightlifting . Super Proud pic.twitter.com/8Un7GvxZjU