3 Indian athletes to win two individual medals at the Olympics ft. PV Sindhu
The Paris Olympics 2024 are just around the corner, slated to begin on July 26 and end on August 11. India has a proud history at the Games, winning medals since the 1900 edition.
The country has won a total of 35 medals, including 10 gold, nine silver, and 16 bronze medals so far. India had its best campaign at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, where they bagged seven medals, their most in a single edition.
With the Games approaching, the idea will be to go past the Tokyo 2020 tally and rewrite history to script India's most successful campaign in Paris.
While several athletes have done the nation proud on the grandest stage over the years, there are only a few who have been able to achieve individual medals twice at the Olympics. Here's a look at who those athletes are.
3 Indian athletes to win two individual medals at the Olympics
#3 PV Sindhu
After Saina Nehwal bagged India's first badminton medal at the 2012 Olympics, PV Sindhu followed in her footsteps to win an Olympic medal in the Rio 2016 edition.
While Saina had won the bronze medal, Sindhu went a step ahead to bag the silver in 2016. Her dream run, however, did not have the perfect ending as she lost the final to Spain's Carolina Marin in an exciting duel that lasted 83 minutes.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals. PV Sindhu defeated China’s He Bing Jiao 21-13, 21-15 to claim the bronze medal in the women’s singles event.
#2 Sushil Kumar
After KD Jadhav's heroics in 1952, India had to go through a long wait of 56 years before they could win another wrestling medal at the Games.
The moment of joy came via Sushil Kumar, who won the bronze medal in the men's 66kg wrestling event in the Beijing 2008 edition. Within 70 minutes of the repechage round, Sushil won three bouts to clinch the medal.
He then became India's biggest hope at the London 2012 games, where he was also the flag bearer for the country. Despite suffering from severe body aches, Sushil fought all battles to make his way to the finals of the men's 66kg wrestling event.
Unfortunately, he failed to push further, losing the finals to Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu. However, it was a memorable outing for him despite his struggles, as he won the silver medal.
#1 Norman Pritchard
India's first representative at the modern Olympics, pioneer Norman Pritchard bagged the country's maiden medal (pre-independence) when he won the silver in the men's 200m hurdles event at the 1900 Paris Olympics with a timing of 26.8 seconds in the semi-finals.
He won another medal in the same edition, winning a silver in the men's 200m sprint event. Finishing second in the semi-finals, he qualified for the finals.
Walter Tewksbury of the USA won gold, clocking 22.2 seconds, as Norman closely missed out with a timing of 22.8 seconds, thus securing the silver medal.
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