India Shines at Paris Olympics with Six Medals

India concluded its Paris Olympics campaign with a total of six medals, which included one silver and five bronze medals. The country sent a team of 117 athletes to compete in various events at the prestigious competition.

Medal Winners

Manu Bhaker opened India’s medal tally by winning a bronze in shooting, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal. She also made history by winning a second bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event with Sarabjot Singh.

Swapnil Kusale added another bronze in shooting. The Indian men’s hockey team matched their Tokyo Olympics success by securing a bronze medal. Neeraj Chopra became the most successful individual Olympian from India by winning a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw event.

Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat became the nation’s youngest Olympic medallist by winning a bronze in wrestling.

Heartbreaks and Near Misses

Despite these achievements, India experienced several heartbreaks, missing out on six potential medals by narrow margins. Athletes like Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu, and Manu Bhaker finished fourth in their respective events. Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification ahead of a historic final also added to the disappointment.

Overall Performance

India participated in a total of 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis. To date, India has won 41 Olympic medals. The country’s Olympic journey began with Norman Pritchard’s dual silver in the 1900 Paris Olympics. KD Jadhav was the first individual athlete from independent India to win an Olympic medal, securing a bronze in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in Sydney in 2000.