Records shattered, a teen star discovered and a best-ever medal haul at a marquee event — it could well have been the perfect year for Indian weightlifting but for a dope case that took some sheen away.
If world champion Mirabai Chanu stood for a secure present, Jeremy Lalrinnunga emerged as the one for the future in what was a memorable 2018 if not for Commonwealth Games Gold-medallist Sanjita Chanu's failed dope test.
The 16-year-old Lalrinnunga scripted history by giving India its first ever Olympic Gold in the sport with his Youth Games Gold. Before that, the senior lifters produced the country's best ever Commonwealth Games performance with records to boot.
A medal-less below-par performance at the Asian Games was a blip but it was never expected to be otherwise. The big moment came in October when Lalrinnunga etched his name into history books when he scooped the Gold in the men's 62kg category at Buenos Aires.
Earlier in April, the senior weightlifters set the ball rolling at Gold Coast with Mirabai Chanu going on a record-smashing spree after P Gururaja opened the country's account with a Silver medal. Records continued to tumble with Sanjita Chanu when she claimed her second successive CWG Gold medal, obliterating the Games record with a total lift of 192kg (84kg+108kg).
Indian weightlifters bagged a total of nine medals, including five Golds, two Silvers, and as many Bronze.
It was also a landmark year for weightlifting as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports awarded the teacher-pupil duo of Vijay Sharma and Mirabai with the Khel Ratna.