Usha tops Group D, Nirupama Devi fourth in Group C of women's 61kg at World Championships

Indian weightlifter Usha topped Group D while compatriot Nirupama Devi finished fourth in Group C of the women's 61kg competition at the IWF World Championships in Ningbo on Sunday (November 1, 2026).

The 23-year-old Usha recorded a total of 212kg — 93kg in the snatch and 119kg in the clean and jerk — and finished ahead of all lifters in her group and several competitors in the higher Group C. Nirupama, who has moved down from the 63kg weight class, registered a total of 211kg (91kg+120kg), one kilogram short of Usha's effort and was placed in Group C owing to a higher entry total.

Usha opened the snatch session with a successful 90kg lift, failed a 93kg attempt on her second try and then cleared 93kg on her third and final snatch attempt. In the clean and jerk she completed lifts of 115kg and 119kg before failing at 121kg.

Nirupama began with a failed 91kg snatch attempt, succeeded with 91kg on her second attempt and could not clear 93kg on her third. In the clean and jerk she completed 120kg and then failed both attempts at 124kg, registering the minimum two successful lifts to post a total.

At the World Championships, Group A comprises lifters with the highest declared entry totals while Groups B, C and D feature athletes with progressively lower entry totals. Following the completion of Groups C and D, Usha was placed third overall while Nirupama was fifth. The World Championships is one of six events in the first period of the Olympic qualification system for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Their final standings will be updated after the completion of Group A. Group A comprises the lifters with the highest declared entry totals.