Olympics: A look at India's medal haul in athletics
The 33rd Summer Olympics edition will be underway on July 26 in Paris, the capital of France. Over 10,000 athletes will feature at the Paris Games for 19 days, which involves 329 events. A 30-member Indian athletics team (men and women) led by javelin star Neeraj Chopra will vie for medals across events. Here we decode the nation's Olympic medal haul in athletics.
India has won three medals in athletics
India has won 35 medals across sports, with their best haul coming at the Tokyo Games (seven). Athletics has fetched India three medals, including one gold and two silver. India first participated at the Paris Olympics in 1900. Norman Pritchard won two silver medals in athletics, becoming India's first-ever Olympic medalist. With this, India became the first Asian country to win an Olympic medal.
Neeraj Chopra won a historic gold in 2021
India's third and only other athletics medal at the Olympics came after as many as 121 years. Neeraj Chopra scripted history by securing a historic gold medal in men's javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021). He brought home India's first-ever gold medal in athletics at the Olympics. Chopra also became India's second Olympics individual gold medalist after Abhinav Bindra.
First Indian with this feat
In 2021, Chopra had become the first Indian javelin thrower to enter the finals of the Olympic Games. A throw of 87.58m in his second attempt helped Indian enter the record books. Chopra won the seventh medal for India at the Tokyo Games.
Indian athletics team for 2024 Paris Olympics (1/3)
Avinash Sable (men's 3000m steeplechase), Neeraj Chopra (men's javelin throw), Kishore Jena (men's javelin throw), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (men's shot put), Praveen Chithravel (men's triple jump), Abdulla Aboobacker (men's triple jump), Sarvesh Kushare (men's high jump), Akshdeep Singh (men's 20km race walk), Vikash Singh (men's 20km race walk), Paramjeet Singh Bisht (men's 20km race walk), and Muhammed Anas (men's 4x400m relay).
Indian athletics team for 2024 Paris Olympics (2/3)
Muhammed Ajmal (men's 4x400m relay), Amoj Jacob (men's 4x400m relay), Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan (men's 4x400m relay), Rajesh Ramesh (men's 4x400m relay), Mijo Chacko Kurian (men's 4x400m relay), Suraj Panwar (race walk mixed marathon), Jeswin Aldrin (men's long jump), Kiran Pahal (women's 400m), Parul Chaudhary (women's 3000m steeplechase and 5,000m), Jyothi Yarraji (women's 100m hurdles), and Annu Rani (women's javelin throw).
Indian athletics team for 2024 Paris Olympics (3/3)
Abha Khatua (women's shot put), Jyothika Sri Dandi (women's 4x400m relay), Subha Venkatesan (women's 4x400m relay), Vithya Ramraj (women's 4x400m relay), MR Poovamma (women's 4x400m relay), Prachi (women's 4x400m relay), Priyanka Goswami (women's 20km race walk and race walk mixed marathon), and Ankita Dhyani (women's 5000m).
