Dipa Karmakar happy to 'have secured' 4th spot at FIG Apparatus World Cup in Baku

India's star gymnast Dipa Karmakar is happy to have made a fourth-place finish in the women's vault event at the FIG Apparatus World Cup 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday.

Dipa, who made a historic fourth-place finish in the vault event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, accumulated 13.716 points in the event which concluded on Sunday.

"I am happy to have secured the 4th spot in Women’s Vault. A step closer to getting back," Dipa wrote on X.

"In 2019, my participation in the World Cup in Baku had led to a career-threatening injury. Post which, there were many battles fought and many hurdles crossed. However, the love for the sport never deterred me.

In 2019, Dipa suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear at the Baku World Cup that required surgery. It was her second major physical blow.

After undergoing knee surgery in 2017, Dipa had to undergo another surgery in 2019 due to ACL tears.

Dipa had since been mostly out of action with the pandemic disrupting the international sports calendar.

She then had been suspended for 21 months due to an anti-doping violation. Dipa made her return to gymnastics last year at the trials for the Asian Games. Dipa, however, was not considered for the Games even after winning the selection trials as the sports ministry ruled her participation out, citing she did not make a top-eight finish in the last 12 months.

Dipa will next be seen in action in the final leg of the World Cup in Doha, which is set to be held from April 17-20.