Decoding India's best campaigns at the Olympics
India will be fielding 113 competitors across 16 sport categories at the 2024 Paris Olympics, starting July 26. India, who is ranked 56th in terms of standings at the Summer Olympics, has bagged 35 medals to date. The Indian contingent has the pedigree to make things count in Paris and add more laurels. Here we decode India's best campaigns at the Olympics.
2020 Tokyo Olympics - 7 medals
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 because of the pandemic saw India bring home seven medals, its best-ever haul at an Olympics. India's medalists in Tokyo: Mirabai Chanu (silver in weightlifting), Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in boxing), PV Sindhu (bronze in badminton), Indian men's hockey team (bronze), Ravi Dahiya (silver in wrestling), Bajrang Punia (bronze in wrestling), and Neeraj Chopra (gold in javelin throw).
2012 London Olympics - 6 medals
India went on to bag six medals in the 2012 London Games. India won two silver and four bronze. India's medalists in London: Gagan Narang (bronze in shooting), Vijay Kumar (silver in shooting), Saina Nehwal (bronze in badminton), Mary Kom (bronze in boxing), Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze in wrestling), and Sushil Kumar (silver in wrestling) were India's medalists at the London Games.
2008 Beijing Olympics - 3 medals
The 2008 Beijing Olympics turned out to be a game-changer for India. The Indian contingent brought home three medals. Notably, Abhinav Bindra won India's first-ever individual gold. Bindra won in shooting (men's 10 m air rifle). Boxer Vijender Singh became the first-ever Indian boxer to win a medal at Olympics. Wrestler Sushil Kumar brought home a bronze medal in the men's freestyle 66kg.
1952 Helsinki Olympics - 2 medals
The Indian men's hockey team bagged gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. This was the men's hockey team's 5th gold medal, having previously won in 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1948 respectively. In addition to the gold medal, K. D. Jadhav bagged a bronze medal in wrestling. Jadhav won a medal in the Men's freestyle 57kg event.
2016 Rio Olympics - 2 medals
The Indian contingent claimed only two medals in the 2016 Rio Games, both by women. Wrestler Sakshi Malik won the first medal for India. She claimed bronze in the women's freestyle 58kg category. Sakshi became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling. India's second and final medal at the Rio Games was bagged by shuttler PV Sindhu (silver).
