India's best performers in Athletics at Paris Olympics 2024

Published at :August 16, 2024 at 8:25 PM

Modified at :August 29, 2024 at 8:26 AM

India secured a medal while there were some first time finalist in numerous sport.

India finished the Paris Olympics 2024 with six medals—one silver and five bronze. One of these medals came from track and field events, continuing the country’s recent success in this area.

Neeraj Chopra, India’s “Golden Boy” won a silver medal in men’s javelin throw. This makes him one of the few Indian athletes to win medals in two different Olympics. Chopra had won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

India’s improvement in track and field is noteworthy. For many years after independence, India struggled in these events. The country’s geography and climate are different from nations that usually do well in athletics, like those in Africa and the West.

Out of the 145 possible medals Asia has just won 10 medals from just 6 countries. China won the most medals (4) followed by Bahrain (2) and the other 4 countries (Japan, Pakistan, Qatar and India) have won just 1 medal. The athletes that have won medals for Bahrain are from African nations as well.

At the Paris Olympics, only six Asian countries won medals in track and field. India was one of them, showing it’s making progress.

Parul Chaudhary

Parul Chaudhary competed in two events: the women’s 5000 meters and 3000 meter steeplechase. While she didn’t advance to the finals in either event, she performed close to her best times this season. In the 5000 meters, she nearly broke her own national record, missing by just 33 microseconds with a time of 15:10:68. In the steeplechase, she achieved her best time of the season at 9:23:39.

Men’s relay team

The men’s 4×400 meter relay team, consisting of Amoj Jacob, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Ajmal, and Santhosh Kumar, narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. They recorded their best time of the season at 3:00:58, finishing 10th overall and just half a second short of a final spot.

Avinash Sable

Avinash Sable made history in the men’s 3000 meter steeplechase, becoming the first Indian male to reach the finals in this event. He finished 11th in the final race with a time of 8:14:18, securing his place in the 2025 World Championships.

Neeraj Chopra

The standout performer was Neeraj Chopra in the men’s javelin throw. Chopra, the defending champion, qualified for the finals with a single throw of 89.34 meters. Despite struggling in the finals with five foul throws, his second attempt of 89.45 meters was enough to earn him a medal. This achievement puts Chopra in a select group of Indian athletes who have won multiple individual Olympic medals.

Chopra later revealed he had been dealing with a groin injury, making his performance even more impressive. While he didn’t retain his title, his medal-winning throw showed his continued excellence in the sport.

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