Bharat’s star shooter Manu Bhaker along with her partner Sarabjot Singh secured another bronze medal for the nation at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The duo triumphed over Korea’s Wonho Lee and Jin ye Ohin in the mixed team 10m air pistol match on Tuesday. This feat marks a significant addition to Bharat’s medal tally.
This victory is particularly notable as Manu Bhaker becomes the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic event since Bharat gained independence in 1947. Earlier, Manu had also earned a bronze medal in the women’s individual 10m air pistol final.
Manu Bhaker’s initial triumph in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event not only marked her first Olympic medal but also set the stage for her historic second win. This achievement brings India’s total medal count in these Games to two, thanks to Bhaker’s exceptional performance.
This milestone is a first for Bharat in the Paris Olympic Games, with the team securing their victory by defeating the Koreans 16-10 in the bronze medal match.
Norman Pritchard was the last Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympics, claiming two silver medals in athletics during the 1900 Games when Bharat was under British rule. Since then, no Indian athlete has achieved this feat in a single campaign.
However, a few Indian athletes have cumulatively won two Olympic medals over their careers. Wrestler Sushil Kumar and badminton player PV Sindhu are notable examples. Sushil Kumar earned a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Games and a silver at the London 2012 Games, making him the first Indian to win multiple Olympic medals post-independence over two different campaigns.
PV Sindhu won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, following a narrow defeat to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the final, marking Bharat’s first silver in Olympic badminton. Sindhu later secured a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, becoming the only Indian woman to win multiple Olympic medals, although across two different editions.
