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What's the story?
India's hopes of winning a medal on the first day of the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast were hugely pinned on the able and broad shoulders of weightlifting athlete Saikhom Mirabai Chanu who was considered a favourite on the back of her impressive performances in the World Weightlifting Championship last year and Glasgow Commonwealth Games four years ago.
The Manipur native did not disappoint and performed sensationally in the 48 kg weight category, not only winning a gold medal but also breaking the world record in the process. You can watch the heroic moment below:
In case you didn't know...
Mirabai Chanu may have been considered a favourite, but this was by no means an easy task for the 23-year-old who has a job with the Indian Railways and has set her sights on now achieving the milestone of a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The heart of the matter
Amid some heavy competition, Chanu made her task look extremely simple and managed a total of 196 points by the end, comprehensively disposing of the opposition with the second-placed athlete only managing 170 points in total.
Chanu lifted 80 kgs and 84 kgs before breaking the world record by lifting 86 kgs. She also broke her own record of 85 kgs, which she set at the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, USA.
What's next?
Following this dominant win, Chanu has now set her sights on the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and will undoubtedly have the nation's hopes pinned on her yet again.
Author's take
Athletes like Mirabai Chanu are rare and this achievement is truly one for the ages. On the first day itself, the bar has been set quite high, and India will hope that there are more medals in store.
