CWG 2026: Nirupama Devi stumbles as India's perfect weightlifting streak ends
The scene behind the stage at the SEC Armadillo exuded quiet reassurance-chief coach Vijay Sharma offering final technical tweaks and star lifter Mirabai Chanu, fresh off securing her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold, providing steady encouragement from the athlete warm-up zone. Yet, despite elite guidance in her corner, debutant Nirupama Devi Seram endured a harrowing night, putting an end to India’s flawless streak in the weightlifting arena.
Until Tuesday’s women’s 63kg final, the Indian weightlifting contingent had operated with relentless efficiency. Six events had yielded six medals: a gold for the talismanic Mirabai (women’s 48kg), silvers for Rishikanta Singh (men’s 60kg), Raja Muthupandi (men’s 65kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (women’s 53kg), and Valluri Ajaya Babu (men’s 79kg), alongside a bronze from Bindyarani Devi (women’s 58kg).
Nirupama, however, saw her campaign unravel almost immediately. The 25-year-old struggled to establish rhythm, converting just one of her six attempts in an error-riddled outing. After missing her opening snatch lift, she safely completed 93kg on her second attempt. However, subsequent failures at the same mark and a revised 95kg left her trailing in fifth position going into break.
Positioned outside the top tier, the Indian setup opted for an aggressive gamble in the clean and jerk, starting her at an ambitious 123kg – three kilograms shy of her personal best. What followed was a brutal lesson in the margins of international competition. Supported by vocal cheers from her teammates in the arena stands, Nirupama cleaned the barbell on all three attempts with relative ease, but the overhead lock proved elusive each time. On her second try, she lost control at the top, sending the bar crashing behind her, before failing to generate sufficient drive on her final gasp.
Registering a ‘Did Not Finish’ (DNF) without a total, the 25-year-old Nirupama watched on as Canada’s reigning Olympic champion Maude Charron clinched gold with a Games record of 232kg. England’s Sarah Davies Smale and Nauru’s Femily-Crystie Notte completed the podium.
While the defeat halts a historic run, India’s haul of six medals underlines their continued dominance in the sport. The focus now turns to technical adjustments as the remaining lifters prepare for action in
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