Which Indian athletes have medalled at multiple editions of Olympics?

Manu Bhaker is the first Indian since indepedence to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Olympics.

Winning an Olympic medal is every athlete’s dream and achieving this feat in more than one edition is truly extraordinary. Athletes worldwide dedicate their lives to this pursuit.

India won its first Olympic medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics, the second edition of the Games, when Norman Pritchard claimed two medals for the country. This early success set high expectations for Indian athletes. However, the nation’s second individual medalist came 52 years later at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, when K.D. Jadhav secured a bronze in wrestling.

In between those years, the Indian hockey team were unbeatable, securing the gold medal in every Olympic Games held between 1928 and 1956. Their excellence did not stop there; the team continued to perform outstandingly in subsequent editions, amassing a total of 13 Olympic medals. This record makes them the most successful hockey team in Olympic history.

It wasn’t until 112 years after the 1900 Paris Olympics that another Indian athlete, Sushil Kumar, won multiple individual Olympic medals. At the 2012 London Olympics, Sushil Kumar achieved this remarkable feat, thus etching his name in history.

Here, we delve into the Indian athletes who have won medals in multiple editions of the Olympics:

Sushil Kumar secures wins at Beijing and London

Sushil Kumar ended the country’s long wait for another individual Olympic medal in wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Games. He won a bronze medal in the 66kg freestyle category, becoming the first Indian wrestler to secure an Olympic medal since Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav in 1952.

Four years later, at the 2012 London Olympics, Sushil achieved another milestone by winning a silver medal, thus becoming the first Indian to secure medals in multiple Olympic editions.

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu and her consecutive wins at Summer Games

P.V. Sindhu’s rise in the world of badminton has been nothing short of phenomenal. She made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games and won a silver medal in the women’s singles category, becoming the first Indian to achieve this honour in the sport.

Also Read: The challenges at Paris Olympics will be tough, but I am ready: PV Sindhu

Her journey did not stop there. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sindhu secured a bronze medal, thus becoming the first Indian to win two Olympic medals in badminton and the first female athlete from India to medal in multiple Olympic editions.

Sindhu is still India’s top badminton player and will carry the country’s hopes for her third medal in Paris Olympics 2024.

Manu Bhaker’s record breaking run at Paris Olympics 2024

Manu Bhaker peaked for India during Paris Olympics 2024. She won the bronze medal in 10m air pistol event and became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal. Bhaker next won the bronze again in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh.

The 22-year-old is the second Indian after Norman Pritchard to win mutliple medals in a single edition of the summer games. Bhaker is the first Indian since Indepedence to achieve this feat.

Neeraj Chopra’s consistency in back to back Olympics

Neeraj Chopra has been the biggest track and field star for India at present. He won gold in men’s javelin throw at Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a throw of 87.58m and further improved it three years later. Chopra won silver at Paris Olympics 2024 with a throw of 89.45m.

Indian hockey team’s record at the Olympics

The Indian hockey team has a rich history of Olympic excellence. India have earned a total of 13 Olympic medals in hockey: eight gold, one silver and four bronze. Their latest accolade came at Paris Olympics 2024 where the men in blue defeated Spain 2-1 for the bronze medal. Harmanpreet Singh lead the campaign as the skipper and scored 10 goals including a brace against Spain in the bronze medal playoff.

The team had also won a historic bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Manpreet Singh as captain. This achievement ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal, with the previous one being in 1980. It also highlighted the country’s past achievements and legacy in the sport, inspiring a new generation of hockey players.

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