India’s Paris Olympics Campaign: Successes In Shooting And Heartbreaks In Badminton

After a record-breaking performance at the Tokyo Olympics, India aimed for a double-digit medal tally at the Paris Olympics 2024. With 117 athletes, the country ended up with six medals—one silver and five bronze—matching its London 2012 haul but falling short of Tokyo’s seven medals.

India’s Medal Winners at Paris 2024

• Manu Bhaker was a standout performer, winning two bronze medals in shooting. She became the first Indian woman to win two medals in a single Olympics, ending a 12-year wait for a shooting medal.
• Swapnil Kusale added another bronze in shooting, contributing to India’s largest medal haul in the sport at a single Games.
• The men’s hockey team repeated their Tokyo success by winning bronze, marking back-to-back medals for the first time in 52 years.
• Neeraj Chopra earned silver in javelin, becoming the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win consecutive Olympic medals.
• Aman Sehrawat clinched bronze in wrestling, becoming India’s youngest Olympic medallist.

Near Misses and Heartbreaks

India narrowly missed adding six more medals. Arjun Babuta finished fourth in shooting, while Lakshya Sen fell short of a badminton medal after a tough bronze-medal match. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu missed the podium by one kilo.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a joint silver medal remains pending. She was disqualified after being found overweight by 100 grams.

Ranking Among India’s Best Performances

India’s Paris campaign is its third-best Olympic performance, following Tokyo 2020 and London 2012.

India’s Best Medal Hauls:

• Tokyo 2020: 7 Medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• London 2012: 6 Medals (2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
• Paris 2024: 6 Medals (1 Silver, 5 Bronze)

India faced challenges in badminton and boxing, with notable athletes failing to secure medals. Despite the mixed results, India’s Paris Olympics performance highlights successes in shooting and the potential for future achievements.