India at Paris 2024: Gold-less, not hopeless

The toughest part of the Olympics - meant to be the pinnacle of achievement, the culmination of years of training, discipline, determination and sacrifice - is having to deal with heartbreaks.

Paris may be known as the city of love and light, but for many Indian athletes, it turned out to be a city of misfortune.

The Indian contingent fell short of achieving the coveted gold medal in Paris, a prize they had been longing for since that momentous evening of August 7, 2021, when Neeraj Chopra's fluorescent yellow spear soared through Tokyo's National Stadium and landed like a guided missile beyond the 88-metres mark.

That throw catapulted Neeraj into greatness and sparked a nationwide frenzy.

Three years later, in Paris, India missed out on that moment of unbridled joy. The 'Golden Boy' Neeraj had to settle for silver.

With a drop in the medal count from their best performance just three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics and no gold medal to celebrate, Paris might seem like a setback for India.

But there is hope just yet.

India won six medals, with shooting leading the charge. More significantly, India came agonizingly close to securing six more medals, which could have potentially doubled their tally.

Missing medals by a whisker

What could be more painful than missing the podium and falling short of glory by mere inches, metres, or kilograms?

It is often said that finishing fourth in the Olympics is the ultimate agony.

If finishing last is painful due to the defeat, finishing in fourth place is agonizing because it feels both close and far away.

India has a long history of narrowly missing out on the biggest stage, but the pain of those losses has never been as deeply felt as it was by the athletes in Paris.

There were distressing fourth-place finishes when Indian athletes stumbled just a few steps away from the podium.

The mixed skeet team of Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan narrowly lost the bronze medal playoff, 43-44, to China's Lyun Jianlina and Jiang Yiting.

Another heartbreaking outcome was weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's fourth-place finish. Her loss by one kilogram to the bronze medalist, Surodchana Khambao, underscored a heart-wrenching near miss.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, competing on the third day of her period, regretted the missed opportunity to win her second consecutive medal.

Similarly, shuttler Lakshya Sen was left speechless after his impressive run in Paris came to a dramatic halt. He had seemingly lost two consecutive matches, the semifinal and the bronze medal playoff, both from winning positions.

Lakshya had briefly sparked hope for a badminton medal when he progressed deep into the Games, especially after the early exits of the much-vaunted Indian doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, as well as PV Sindhu in women's singles.

However, Lakshya's inability to maintain consistency at crucial moments meant Indian badminton drew a blank sheet in the Paris Olympics for the first time in 16 years.

Manu Bhaker, on the brink of achieving a hat-trick of medals, found little comfort in her fourth-place finish in the 25m pistol final, her signature event.

Amid these setbacks, perhaps the most heartbreaking incident was of Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from an assured medal for being just 100 grams overweight in the women's 50kg category - an event that fans continue to grapple with.

Youngsters dazzle

Yet, the Paris Olympics 2024 was not solely about disappointments and heartbreaks for India. There are ample reasons for the nation to be proud of Indian athletes.

The consistency displayed by Indian athletes was commendable, with medals being secured once again in wrestling, athletics, and hockey.

Notably, Neeraj Chopra and the Indian hockey team have reached the podium for the second consecutive Olympics, reinforcing India's presence on the world stage.

Though Neeraj conceded the gold medal to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, he had nothing left to prove. His back-to-back medals added another layer to the story of India’s greatest Olympian.

He made history as the first Indian track and field athlete to win Olympic gold and silver - a rare and significant achievement in Indian sports.

Shooting, too, enjoyed a moment of redemption, especially after the setbacks of Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. For the first time, Indian shooting won three medals at the Olympics, marking a profound turnaround after two challenging campaigns.

Manu Bhaker’s resilience in overcoming the disappointment of Tokyo and achieving success in Paris became a defining narrative of the Indian Olympic campaign.

In a country where consistency at the highest level remains elusive in Indian sports, 21-year-old Manu Bhaker distinguished herself with remarkable confidence, focus, and a winner-takes-all mentality.

She won two bronze medals, becoming the first athlete from independent India to achieve such a feat at a single Olympics.

Equally noteworthy was youngster Sarabjot Singh's medal-winning performance alongside Manu in the 10m air pistol mixed team final, which marked his remarkable comeback from the heartbreak in the individual round. Also significant was Swapnil Kusale's ability to handle pressure and secure a medal.

Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, meanwhile, became India's youngest medalist at the Olympics. He ensured that Indian wrestling's medal streak, which started in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, remained intact despite the setback from Vinesh Phogat's disqualification.

His victory restored wrestling's revered place in India's sports ecosystem, making it the joint most successful individual sport alongside shooting.

These moments undoubtedly were among the most remarkable achievements of India's shining young athletes in Paris.

Hockey exudes hopes

Not far behind were the Indian hockey players. Their resolute and vigorous performances throughout the Olympics captured the imagination of the country.

Though their hopes for the gold medal were dashed with a semifinal loss to Germany, their scintillating and dazzling display against the reigning world champions inspired belief in the team.

In the bronze medal playoff, India did not disappoint, securing a 2-1 win over Spain to bring home successive Olympic medals for the first time in 52 years.

The contrast between the two bronze medals won in Tokyo and Paris is significant. While India punched above its weight in Tokyo, their performance in Paris showcased their true caliber.

Despite a lackluster showing in the FIH Pro League before the Olympics, India demonstrated their prowess on the global stage with goalkeeper PR Sreejesh shining brighter than ever in his final appearance.

India conceded the fewest goals and even defeated the mighty Australia. If Tokyo offered a glimmer of hope for Indian hockey, Paris was a thrilling confirmation of its resurgence.

Opportunities

To a great extent, the six medals that India won in Paris were a powerful remedy for their earlier disappointments.

These achievements are a true testament to the athletes' tenacity and determination to overcome challenges and bring home glory.

On the other hand, the focus on fourth-place finishes underscores India's rising expectations for its athletes. This shift marks a departure from the past, when close finishes were celebrated, reflecting the country's evolving aspirations in sports.

Before the Paris Olympics, India had recorded 17 fourth-place finishes in its 120-year Olympic history. But in Paris alone, that number was six. These near misses, although painful, point to the rising stature of Indian sports.

However, with only six medals and 21 medalists from a 117-member contingent, this performance should be seen as just the beginning of the journey and an impetus to build on their progress and stage a stronger comeback in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.