"I dedicate this medal to my country": Mirabai Chanu after creating history at Olympics 2021

Mirabai Chanu did it. She became the first woman from India to win a silver medal in weightlifting at the Olympics. Mirabai lifted a combined weight of 202kg to secure a silver medal for India on day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics.

SILVER FOR MIRABAI!!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

— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) July 24, 2021

The victory at the world's biggest sporting spectacle is a result of Chanu's persistence and hard work over the last few years. Chanu had been impressing everyone with her performances. The 26-year-old from Manipur won a World Championship gold in 2017 and a Commonwealth Games gold in 2018.

Beyond winning medals, she made sure her lifts improved. This allowed her to significantly increase the combined weight she lifted. She went from lifting 194kg in 2017 to lifting 205kg at the 2020 Asian Championships in Tashkent. The fact that she fought back injuries to return in time for the 2021 Olympics will make the victory even sweeter for Chanu.

Happiness is reflecting on #MirabaiChanu ‘s face. She kisses the medal and says mein bhut khush hoon #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #Weightlifting @mirabai_chanu pic.twitter.com/6M4bTROeyF

— Karishma Singh (@karishmasingh22) July 24, 2021

Mirabai Chanu's statement after winning silver

Winning a medal for one's country is an emotional moment for any athlete. Expressing her happiness after the win, Chanu shared a statement on her social media to thank everyone for their support.

"It is a dream come true for me. I would like to dedicate this medal to my country and would like to thank the billion prayers of all Indians which were with me during this journey."

Any athlete requires a team to succeed at the highest level. This includes sacrifices made by friends & family and the support of coaches and trainers who work round the clock to keep the athlete in shape for competitions. Recognizing their efforts, Chanu said:

"I like to thank my family, especially my mother, for a lot of sacrifices and believing in me. Also special thanks to out government for supporting me, Ministry of Sports, SAI, IOA, Weightlifting federation of India, Railways, OGQ, sponsors and my marketing agency IOS for their continuous support in this journey. I would like to give special thanks to my coach Vijay Sharma sir "

Mirabai Chanu's coach Vijay Sharma has also received praise for his work. In a statement, Sharma said:

'It's a proud moment for me and (the) entire nation. I am really proud of my student Mira. This medal is a result of her dedication, hard work and passion."

Mirabai Chanu is only the second Indian to win a weightlifting medal for India at the Olympics after Karnam Malleshwari, who won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Chanu has set the tone for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics. With a medal on the very first day, India will hope to secure its best ever medal tally at the Summer Games.