Over more than two weeks and numerous events, Indian sports fans experienced a storm of emotions, happiness, joy, and sorrow. The journey began with joy as the nation celebrated a bronze in shooting, and topped with mixed emotions after the javelin throw final, where Neeraj Chopra won a silver. Every Indian was left with a combination of pride and hope.
With Reetika Hooda falling short of a medal, failing to go into the repechage round of Saturday, the Indian contingent finally packs their bags and bids adieu to the Paris Olympics with 6* medals. This is not better than the Tokyo Olympics, where we won 7 medals including 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals.
The seventh medal for India depends on vinesh Phogat’s verdict. Vinesh still has a chance to secure a silver medal in wrestling and make it 7. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has postponed its decision on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against her disqualification from the Olympic finals until 13th August.
So far, India has finished its Paris Olympic campaign with six medals, including five bronze and one silver.
Manu Bhaker started the rally
India’s shooter Manu Bhaker was the first athlete to win a medal for India at the Paris Olympics. She won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol shooting event, becoming the first female athlete to win a shooting medal for India.
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secure second medal
Manu Bhaker, alongside Sarabjot Singh, secured India’s second medal at the Paris Olympics by winning bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. This marked the first time that a team event in shooting brought home a medal for India at the Olympics.
Swapnil Kusale brings home another bronze
Swapnil Kusale clinched India’s third bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, securing third place in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. This completed a hat-trick of shooting medals for India, a first in Olympic history.
Hockey Team didn’t disappoint
After Swapnil’s bronze, a medal drought seemed imminent, with several close calls, including fourth-place finishes by the shotgun team, Lakshya Sen, and the archery mixed team. The Indian hockey team also lost their semi-final match to Germany. However, they bounced back to win the bronze medal match against Spain with a 2-1 victory, reigniting hopes for more medals.
Neeraj Chopra wins Silver
India’s golden boy, Neeraj Chopra, won the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw with a throw of 89.45m. The nation had mixed feelings—joy for the silver, but a tinge of sadness as Neeraj couldn’t defend his Olympic gold.
Aman Sehrawat wins bronze
The story ended with a bronze from Aman Sehrawat, the youngest Indian to win an individual medal at the Olympics. Aman clinched the bronze in the men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling after defeating Darian Cruz of Puerto Rico with a score of 13-5.
