India's Maibam Martina Devi narrowly missed out on a medal in the women's +86 kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026, finishing fifth with a combined lift of 245 kg.
Entering the final as one of the favourites for the silver medal, Martina endured a difficult outing after coming close to recording a DNF during the snatch segment. She had opened the competition with an entry weight of 103 kg in the snatch, but the challenging start ultimately affected her chances of reaching the podium.
Maibam Martina Devi Falls Short Of Podium Finish In Women's +86kg Weightlifting Final At CWG 2026
India's Maibam Martina Devi endured a heartbreaking finish in the women's +86 kg weightlifting final at the Commonwealth Games 2026, missing out on a medal after placing fifth with a combined total of 245 kg. The 20-year-old entered the competition as one of India's strongest medal hopes and was considered a serious contender for silver. However, her campaign got off to a difficult start in the snatch after she failed to record a valid lift in her opening two attempts, leaving her on the verge of a DNF.
With everything riding on her final snatch attempt, Martina made a bold decision by increasing her weight from the original entry of 103 kg to 105 kg. Despite the enormous pressure, she successfully completed the lift to remain in the competition and keep her medal hopes alive. She carried that momentum into the clean and jerk, opening with a successful 140 kg lift that kept her firmly in the race for the podium.
The decisive moment came when Martina attempted 146 kg in her third clean and jerk lift, which would have been a personal best and enough to secure the bronze medal. She was unable to complete the lift and was left visibly emotional as her podium hopes slipped away. England's Emily Campbell claimed the gold medal with a Commonwealth Games record total of 278 kg, while Malaysia's Farhana Draman (253 kg) and Canada's Etta Love (250 kg) finished with the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Who Is Maibam Martina Devi? Everything To Know About India's Rising Weightlifting Star
Maibam Martina Devi is one of India's brightest young weightlifting talents, representing Manipur in the women's heavyweight category (+86kg/+87kg). Widely regarded as a rising force in Indian weightlifting, she has already established herself as a multiple-time national record holder across both the junior and senior levels. Martina trains at the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence under the Khelo India programme and also receives support through the GoSports Foundation's ASPIRE initiative, helping her develop into one of the country's leading prospects.
Her breakthrough performances have come consistently over the past few years. At the 2025-26 IWLF National Weightlifting Championships, Martina claimed the senior national title while setting new junior and senior national records with lifts of 109kg in the snatch, 140kg in the clean and jerk, and a combined total of 249kg. She also impressed on the international stage by finishing sixth at the 2024 IWF Junior World Championships and winning two silver medals and a bronze at the 2024 Asian Junior Championships in Doha. Her rapid rise has been even more remarkable considering she returned from a serious ACL injury earlier in her career, overcoming the setback to become one of India's most promising weightlifters.