Olympics: Who was India's maiden medalist Norman Pritchard?
India would like to enhance their medal tally at the high-voltage 2024 Paris Olympics, which will get underway on July 26. Athletes from different corners of the globe will compete across 32 sports for a total of 329 gold medals. Meanwhile, here we decode the profile of Norman Pritchard, the first athlete to clinch an Olympic medal for India.
Maiden Olympic medalist for India
India first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900, with a lone athlete Pritchard, who won two medals (both silver). Notably, India was under the British rule back then. Pritchard finished second in the 200-metre sprint behind Walter Tewksbury of the United States. He was also the runner-up of the 200-metre hurdles, behind USA's Alvin Kraenzlein.
Controversy regarding his participation
Pritchard was born in Calcutta to George Petersen Pritchard and Helen Maynard Pritchard. A controversy sparked in 2004 after the International Association of Athletics Federations published the official track and field statistics for the 2004 Summer Olympics. In the historical records section, Pritchard was listed to have represented Great Britain in the 1900 games.
Did Pritchard really play for Great Britain?
Several researches also indicated that Pritchard represented Great Britain at the event after competing in the British AAA championship in June 1900. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) still lists Pritchard as an Indian athlete in the 1900 event. Hence, the two medals won by him continue to be in India's credit.
His feats in local competition
Pritchard entered the 1900 Olympics as a proven performer as he won the Bengal province 100 yards sprint title for seven consecutive years, from 1894 to 1900. Pritchard operated as Secretary of the Indian Football Association from 1900 to 1902. Pritchard, who moved to Britain in 1905, breathed his last in 1929. He even acted in a few moves in the USA.
