Paris Olympics 2024: Who are India's medal contenders today August 7 (Day 12)?

Published at :August 7, 2024 at 12:44 AM

Modified at :August 7, 2024 at 12:44 AM

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will begin her campaign on Wednesday.

Indian fans were relieved to see some stars aligning on their side as results of the top stars went their way to keep India’s hopes of bettering the Tokyo medal tally alive. Vinesh Phogat who was given a tough draw started the day with two impressive wins.

She lived by the famous saying of fortune favouring the brave, as she adopted a risky strategy which helped her break the 82-0 streak of her opponent. In Javelin Throw, the reigning Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra produced his season best performance of 89.34m in his first throw to book a place in the finals.

India will be hoping to win medals on Day 12 (August 6) and here are some of the medal contenders who would want to do it for India.

India’s medal contenders on Day 12 (August 6) in Paris Olympics 2024

Weightlifting – Women’s 49kg – Mirabai Chanu (11:00 PM)

Many Indian fans in social media were querying about Mirabai Chanu and when is she competing in the Paris Olympics. The buzz is because of the waves she created by winning a silver medal in the first day in Tokyo. It was a medal long due for the 29-year-old having missed it out in Rio Olympics. Coming into Paris, she is up against a different challenge to win a medal with just six months of preparation.

Aldo Read: ‘If I’m at my 100%, the medal will follow,’ says Mirabai Chanu ahead of Paris 2024

An injury in the 2023 Asian Games resulted in Mirabai return home empty-handed seated in a wheelchair. Although she had already qualified for the Olympics thanks to her second-place finish in the World Championships, she had to compete in one event in 2024 to exercise it.

The recovery took six months and Mirabai competed in the World Cup in March. The Tokyo Silver medalist and her coach are confident that she has gained full fitness and will look to be on the podium in Paris as well.

Athletics – Men’s 3000 Steeplechase – Avinash Sable (01:13 AM next day)

Avinash Sable created history becoming the first Indian man to qualify for the finals in steeplechase. The Asian Games Champion came fifth in the second heat during qualification to book a date for a run for a medal in Stade de France. A Subedar in the Indian Army, Sable was leading the qualification race for most part of it and looked to stabilize the lead.

He was overtaken by the likes of Mohamed Tindouft of Morocco and Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu who finished in the top two spots. The 29-year-old clocked a time of 8:15:43 which is way lower than his personal best, which is a national record as well, created in Paris Diamond League a month ago.

Sable who broke the Asian Games record last year to win gold, will look to repeat one such performance to win an Olympic medal.

Wrestling – Women’s 50kg Freestyle – Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh Phogat has been on the news since last year for multiple reasons. But on Tuesday, she was not only on the news but also on her away into the history books as she inches closer to her maiden Olympic medal. Competing in the women’s 50kg Freestyle event, Vinesh Phogat was given a tough draw to live her Olympic dream.

In the first round she had her biggest obstacle with reigning Olympic Champion and top-seeded Yui Susaki of Japan. To the surprise of everyone, Vinesh wasn’t attacking and was playing the waiting game. It was until the last 10 seconds where she surprised her to win the game. It is a huge win as this is the first time Susaki has lost an international game.

In the quarterfinals, Vinesh beat Ukrainian wrestler Oksana Livach to book a place in semis. She then saw-off the defending Pan American champion Yusneylis Guzman 5-0 in the semis to become the first Indian female wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics. She will face USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the gold medal match.

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Paris Olympics 2024: Who are India's medal contenders today August 7 (Day 12)?

Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will begin her campaign on Wednesday.

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India’s medal contenders on Day 12 (August 6) in Paris Olympics 2024