2024 Paris Olympics: Key takeaways of Team India's campaign
India's 2024 Paris Olympics campaign came to an end after wrestler Reetika Hooda got eliminated from the 76 kg wrestling freestyle event. The Indian contingent, which comprised of 117 athletes, recorded six medals, including five bronze and one silver. Manu Bhaker became the first Indian female shooter with an Olympic medal, while Vinesh Phogat missed out on the medal with an untimely incident.
India couldn't top its Tokyo Games tally
India was expected to top its Tokyo Olympics tally. The nation won seven medals at the Tokyo Games. However, the Indian contingent could plunder six medals with no gold. Neeraj Chopra, who was touted to bring a second gold medal, was stopped by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. Manu Bhaker started well with two medals, but fourth-place finishes coupled with some unfortunate incidents thwarted India's chances.
Sen, Chanu, Sindhu miss medals
The Indian contingent competed for as many as 69 medal events at the Paris Games. However, several marquee stars missed out on a podium finish. India's medal hopefuls (besides the ones with medals) included Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu, Vinesh Phogat (disqualified ahead of final), and PV Sindhu. Even Manu had an opporunity to win a third medal, but she finished fourth (25m pistol event).
Heartbreak for wrestler Vinesh Phogat
The biggest disappointment for the Indian contingent was the disaqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat ahead of her gold medal bout. Vinesh became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, however, she failed to make the weight for her 50 kg final bout. Vinesh and her team have appealed against the same, the verdict of which is yet to be out.
Notable records scripted by Team India
Manu became India's first-ever female shooter with an Olympic medal. She also became India's first-ever athlete with multiple medals at an Olympics post independence. The India men's hockey team won consecutive Olympic medals for the first time since 1972. Chopra won a second individual Olympic medal in athletics. Swapnil Kusale, who bagged bronze, became the first Indian shooter to reach an Olympic final.
