Team India concluded its campaign at the Paris Olympics with a total of six medals, comprising one silver and five bronze. Despite sending a contingent of 117 athletes to compete across various events, Bharat finished 71st on the overall medals tally. The United States topped the chart with a remarkable 126 medals.
Manu Bhaker was the first to secure a medal for Bharat, clinching a bronze in shooting. The 22-year-old’s achievement was historic, as she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal. She further made history by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics, earning another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event alongside Sarabjot Singh.
Swapnil Kusale also contributed to Bharat’s success in shooting, earning a bronze medal. The Indian men’s hockey team mirrored their success from the Tokyo Olympics, securing a bronze medal in Paris. Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra continued his impressive Olympic journey by winning a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw, solidifying his status as Bharat’s most successful individual Olympian.
The youngest Indian Olympic medallist at the Paris Games was wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who earned a bronze in wrestling. However, the Games were marked by near-misses, as six potential medals slipped through Bharat’s grasp, with athletes like Lakshya Sen, Mirabai Chanu, and Manu Bhaker narrowly missing the podium. The disqualification of Vinesh Phogat before a historic final further added to the nation’s heartbreak.
Bharat’s participation spanned 69 medal events across 16 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis. With these latest achievements, Bharat’s total Olympic medal count now stands at 41.
Notably, Bharat’s Olympic journey began at the 1900 Paris Games, where Norman Pritchard won two silver medals. KD Jadhav became the first individual athlete from independent Bharat to win an Olympic medal, securing bronze in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Games, and Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.
