CWG 2026: Gyanehswari Yadav wins silver in women's 53kg weightlifting, boosts India's medal tally
Glasgow, July 27
India continued its impressive run in the weightlifting competitions at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as Gyanehswari Yadav clinched the silver medal in the women's 53kg event on Monday.
The Indian lifter produced a strong overall performance, registering a total lift of 199kg, comprising 88kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk, to finish second on the podium. This is her personal best in Total and C&J performance.
Nigeria's Didih Onome Omolola claimed the gold medal with a commanding 206kg total (93kg snatch +113kg clean and jerk), while Canada's Rebeka Groulx secured the bronze with a total of 178kg.
Yadav was consistent throughout the competition. After lifting 88kg in the snatch, she successfully cleared 103kg, 107kg and 111kg in the clean and jerk, ensuring India another medal in the weightlifting competition.
Omolola, however, proved too strong, matching the Commonwealth and Games record in the clean and jerk with a successful lift of 113kg to comfortably seal the gold medal.
South Africa's Johanni Taljaard finished fourth with 175kg, while Solomon Islands' Jenly Tegu Wini ended fifth with 172kg.
Gyanehswari's silver adds another significant medal to India's campaign in Glasgow, underlining the country's continued strength in weightlifting on the Commonwealth stage.
She is the third weightlifter to win a medal for India in Glasgow, joining Mirabai Chanu (gold) and Raja Muthupandi (silver).
The 23-year-old weightlifter from Chhattisgarh took to the sport at a young age and rose through the state's sports development system before earning a place in the national setup. Her consistent performances at junior and senior national championships established her as one of India's top female lifters in her weight category.
Gyaneshwari trains at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, under the national coaching program and has represented India at major international competitions, including the Commonwealth Championships, Asian Championships, and the World Weightlifting Championships.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Love seeing young athletes from smaller towns make it big. Chhattisgarh's sports ecosystem is really improving. But seriously, Nigeria's Omolola was a beast today—113kg clean and jerk is insane! Still proud of our girl. 💪
Great effort by Yadav. India is really building a strong weightlifting tradition—Mirabai Chanu, now this. But we need more investment in advanced coaching and nutrition if we want to overtake top African lifters. Silver is good; gold is better.
Third weightlifting medal for India already! That's some serious depth. Our sports bureaucracy often gets criticized, but the NIS Patiala system seems to be producing results. Gyaneshwari's 111kg in clean & jerk was solid under pressure. 🇮🇳👏
Impressive consistency from Yadav in the clean and jerk—three successful lifts! The Nigerian lifter was just in a different league today, but silver at 23 is a huge achievement. Can't wait to see her next cycle. Well earned, India!
So proud! 🎉 Another medal for India from a young woman. But I wish the government would give more support to these athletes—better training facilities, more international exposure. They're doing amazing despite the challenges. Kudos to Gyaneshwari and her coaches! 🌟
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