"My target for the 2028 Olympics is gold" - Aman Sehrawat after bronze win at Paris Olympics
Aman Sehrawat became the youngest Indian to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. He defeated Darian Cruz of Puerto Rico in the men's 57kg freestyle wrestling event and achieved India's sixth medal at the ongoing Olympic Games.
Notably, this was Sehrawat's debut in the Olympics. At just 21, he managed to edge past wrestlers like Vladimir Egorov of North Macedonia, Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania, Rei Higuchi of Japan, and Puerto Rico's Cruz. He was not considered one of the medal hopefuls before the Paris Games but rose to stamp his authority, introducing himself as a shining star of Indian wrestling.
Aman Sehrawat even took suggestions from wrestler Bajrang Punia who was unable to participate in the ongoing Olympics. Further support from his coaching staff ensured Sehrawat returned home with a medal. The wrestler spoke to the organizers post the triumph and said:
"My target was to bring gold for India. But now I have to settle for a bronze. But I am happy for my country. My target for the 2028 Olympics is gold. I didn't sleep for two nights. I was thinking only about how to fight in the bout. Yesterday I didn't even blink my eyes for a minute. Everytime I laid down wrestling visuals came to my mind. I even went out of the room and was walking and thinking about the fight. Everything on the court, went as per our plan."
No sleep for two days and cutting down around 4.5 kilograms of weight before his bronze medal match were two tough things that the wrestler went through. But thorough strategy and assistance from his mentors helped him secure a bronze, India's fifth at the Paris Olympics.
Other Indian medal winners at the Paris Olympics 2024
Neeraj Chopra currently stands as the only athlete who won a silver medal for India, and a gold is yet to be won by the nation in this edition of the Olympics. Manu Bhaker started India's medal hunt by grabbing two bronze medals, one in an individual event and the other by partnering Sarabjot Singh in the mixed-team event.
Swapnil Kusale also earned a bronze medal in the men's 50m 3P event, apart from the Indian hockey team which defeated Spain to win bronze.