Tokyo Olympics: 5 records set by Silver Medalist Mirabai Chanu

India’s weightlifter Mirabai Chanu opened India’s medal account on Saturday as she clinched a silver medal in the women’s 49kg category.

Mirabai Chanu became the first-ever Indian weightlifter to win a silver medal in the Olympics.

Mirabai Chanu, who was the lone weightlifter in the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Games 2020, also became the only second Indian to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting. The first was Karnam Malleswari, who won bronze at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Mirabai Chanu, who made her Olympics debut in 2016, also became the first-ever Indian athlete to win a medal on the opening day of the Games.

The 26-year-old weightlifter became India’s fifth silver medalist in the Olympics in the singles category after Rajyavardhan Rathore (Athens 2004), Sushil Kumar (London 2012), Vijay Kumar (London 2012) and PV Sindhu (Rio 2016). Overall, India’s silver medal tally in Summer Olympics has gone up to 8 now.

Mirabai Chanu, who will turn 27 next month, became the sixth Indian woman to grab an Olympic medal in the singles category after Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu.