Star Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is facing a significant change in her Olympic journey. Her current weight class has been officially removed from the 2028 Los Angeles Games, meaning she will need to transition to the 53kg category to compete.
This decision directly impacts Chanu, who famously clinched a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 49kg division. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has adjusted the weightlifting program for 2028, increasing the total number of events to 12, with the lightest women’s category now set at 53kg.
Despite the challenge, Chief National Coach Vijay Sharma views this shift positively, believing that moving up to 53kg could actually benefit Chanu. However, he confirmed that the Manipuri athlete will maintain her current weight class for the upcoming Asian Games.
Sharma elaborated, stating, “The removal of the 49kg category is actually a good development for Mirabai, as the process of cutting down to 48kg has always been incredibly demanding for her.”
In a statement released late Monday, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced this change, referencing the IOC’s “encouraging decision” to expand the weightlifting program at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to 12 events (six for men, six for women). This marks the second time in under a year that the IWF has revised its weight categories, highlighting a period of significant structural changes for the sport.
Earlier this year, Chanu had already adjusted to the 48kg category when the IWF initially removed the 49kg division from the Olympics. While the 49kg class has since been restored for other IWF competitions like the World Championships, it remains absent from the Olympic lineup.
Despite these shifts, Chanu has continued to excel, securing a gold medal at the Commonwealth Championships and a silver at the World Championships in the 48kg category earlier this year.
The 31-year-old athlete is expected to compete in her current 48kg/49kg categories until next year’s Asian Games. Following that, she will have a two-year window to progressively increase her body weight and adapt to the 53kg division, meticulously preparing for the 2028 Olympics.
Chanu has frequently expressed the immense physical strain involved in maintaining her 48kg body weight. A move to a higher weight class could potentially alleviate some of this burden, allowing her to build more muscle mass and strength.
Coach Sharma reiterated, “For now, she will continue in her current weight class until the Asian Games. After that, we will systematically start the process of her transition to the 53kg category.”
The confirmed women’s Olympic weight categories for 2028 are 53kg, 61kg, 69kg, 77kg, 86kg, and +86kg. For men, the categories will be 65kg, 75kg, 85kg, 95kg, 110kg, and +110kg.
These Olympic categories are part of a broader, slightly revised set of 16 IWF bodyweight categories, which are slated to be implemented starting August 1, 2026.
The IWF clarified that these new categories were initially proposed by its Technical Committee and received provisional approval from the IWF Executive Board during their recent meeting in Forde (Norway), coinciding with the 2025 IWF World Championships. They gained official status following ratification by the IWF Athletes Commission.
For comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics featured women’s weight categories of 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg, and +81kg, while men competed in the 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg, and +102kg divisions.