‘I haven’t eaten for 2 days’: Mirabai Chanu on Commonwealth Games weight cut challenges

Written by: Lifestyle Desk5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 27, 2026 06:04 PM IST Elite athletes often perform extraordinary physical feats that are difficult to compare with everyday fitness goals. Sports such as weightlifting require competitors to stay within strict weight categories, meaning athletes may spend weeks or months carefully managing body weight, muscle mass, hydration and nutrition to qualify for competition. After winning her third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 48kg category, weightlifting champion Mirabai Chanu spoke candidly about the challenges of making weight. Shortly after her victory, PTI quoted her saying, “Jaldi jaldi karo, maine kuch khaaya nahi hai 2 din se (please do this quickly, I haven’t eaten in 2 days).” She later explained, “Managi