India's Performance at the Paris Olympics 2024

The Paris Olympics 2024 served as another powerful showcase of India's steady ascent in the global sporting arena. While the nation had its sights set on surpassing its record-breaking haul from Tokyo 2020, the Indian team delivered a commendable performance marked by historic firsts, incredible resilience, and a total of 6 medals (1 Silver, 5 Bronze), securing its position as a growing force.

🥇 Highlights from the Event

Manu Bhaker makes history! The sensational shooter became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting and the first athlete from independent India to secure two medals at a single Games (Women’s 10m Air Pistol Bronze and Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol Bronze with Sarabjot Singh).
Neeraj Chopra secures Silver! The reigning champion followed up his Tokyo gold with a brilliant performance, throwing 89.45m in the Men's Javelin Throw to become India’s first-ever individual medallist with both an Olympic gold and silver.
Hockey Heroes Deliver Back-to-Back Medals: The Indian Men's Hockey Team clinched the Bronze Medal for the second consecutive Olympics, defeating Spain 2-1 in a thrilling playoff, marking a significant return to consistency.
Wrestling’s Youngest Star: Debutant Aman Sehrawat, at just 21, clinched a Bronze Medal in the Men's Freestyle 57kg, becoming the youngest Indian male to win an Olympic medal.
Shooting Soars to a New Peak: With three medals in shooting, including a groundbreaking Bronze for Swapnil Kusale in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions, India recorded its best-ever medal haul in a single sport at any Olympic Games.

Overview of the Event

The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, officially known as Paris 2024, unfolded in the 'City of Lights' from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris Organising Committee, the event brought together approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to compete across 32 sports.

For India, the Games held immense significance. Following the success of the Tokyo 2020 campaign, Team India was tasked with maintaining and building on that momentum. With a contingent of 117 athletes competing across 16 sports, the national expectation was high, turning every event into a high-stakes competitive moment crucial for boosting the country's standing on the global sporting map. The focus was not just on medals, but on sustained, high-level Indian performance across diverse disciplines.

Javelin Throw: The Neeraj Chopra Saga

All eyes were on defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the Men's Javelin Throw final at the Stade de France. While the contest was fierce, Chopra’s impressive second-best career throw of 89.45m was ultimately pipped by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who set a new Olympic Record of 92.97m. Chopra’s silver medal was a testament to his sustained excellence, confirming his status as the most successful individual Olympic medallist from India.

Shooting: A Historic Haul

The Indian shooting contingent, with 21 athletes, was a standout success.

Manu Bhaker's Double Bronze

The performance of Manu Bhaker was historic. In the Women’s 10m Air Pistol final, she displayed remarkable composure to secure the Bronze Medal with a final score of 210.2, overcoming the intense pressure of her Olympic debut from the previous Games. She quickly backed this up by pairing with Sarabjot Singh in the Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol, where they won a nail-biting bronze medal match against South Korea, ending a long wait for India’s first-ever Olympic team medal in the sport.

Swapnil Kusale’s Breakthrough

A third shooting medal came from Swapnil Kusale in the Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions. Kusale's bronze was particularly significant, marking India's first-ever Olympic medal in this highly technical discipline, underlining the depth in the Indian shooting setup.

Men's Hockey: Bronze Defended

The Indian Men's Hockey Team, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, navigated a challenging group stage that included a historic 3-2 win against Australia—their first Olympic victory against the Kookaburras since 1972. Although they fell to Germany in the semi-finals, the team demonstrated great character to beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal playoff, with goals from Hardik Singh and Harmanpreet Singh. This achievement secured back-to-back Olympic medals for the team after a 52-year gap, reaffirming their return to the elite of world field hockey.

Near Misses and Heartbreak

India also suffered six fourth-place finishes, a bitter pill to swallow. Notable near-misses included Lakshya Sen in Badminton Men’s Singles, who lost his bronze medal match, and the mixed team in archery and shooting events. Tokyo silver medallist Mirabai Chanu also narrowly missed the podium in Weightlifting.

The Paris Olympics 2024 proved to be a pivotal stepping stone for the Indian team. The total of 6 medals—India's third-best haul ever—confirms that the country's transformation into a multi-sport powerhouse is well underway. The exceptional performance in shooting with three medals, combined with the sustained success in athletics, hockey, and wrestling, showcases a broader base of excellence than ever before.

The experience gained by the young contingent, particularly the pain of the six fourth-place finishes, will be a crucial lesson. It signifies the need to convert potential into definitive results—a matter of fine-tuning mental game, physical peak, and technical precision in the crucial final moments.

Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028, the foundation is strong. The rise of young talents like Aman Sehrawat and the enduring excellence of stars like Neeraj Chopra promise a bright future. The Indian performance at Paris 2024 was not merely a finish line, but a launchpad for LA 2028, where the country will undoubtedly aim to break into the double-digit medal tally and claim its elusive first post-Tokyo gold medal.