The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics took place in Paris from July 26 to August 11 this year. The Paris 2024 Olympics featured 32 sports, including the 28 “core” disciplines, that include breaking, skateboarding, surfing, and sports climbing. A total of 117 Indian athletes, comprising 70 males and 47 females, competed at the Summer Games this year. While India finished its campaign in 71st place among 207 NOCs with six medals — five bronze and a silver, there were several close finishes where the Indians missed a podium finish by a whisker.
Here’s the list of Indian athletes who narrowly missed out on medals:
Shooting:
*
Manu Bhaker:
The 22-year-old from Haryana bagged two bronze medals — in women’s 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol — becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. However, she agonizingly missed out on a third medal in the 25m pistol final, finishing fourth after losing a shoot-off against Hungary’s Veronika Major.*
Arjun Babuta:
In a similar heartbreak, Arjun Babuta also finished fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle final. He led after the first 10 shots but ultimately lost the bronze to Croatia’s Miran Maricic due to a pressured final shot.*
Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan:
The duo surprised with a fourth-place finish in the skeet mixed team qualification, leading to a bronze medal match against China. Despite a strong performance, they fell short, losing 44-43 to Jiang Yiting and Lyu Jianlin.Badminton:
*
Lakshya Sen:
The first Indian man to reach an Olympic badminton semifinal, Lakshya Sen lost a hard-fought bronze medal match to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia after winning the first game. Lee Zii Jia ultimately secured his first Olympic medal.Wrestling:
*
Vinesh Phogat:
In one of the biggest upsets in the Paris 2024 Olympics, Vinesh Phogat defeated the top-seeded grappler, Japan’s Yui Susaki, in women’s 50kg wrestling. She continued her stellar run, winning her next two matches. Unfortunately, she was disqualified from the gold medal bout after failing to make the weight cut.Boxing:
*
Lovlina Borgohain:
One of India’s brightest medal hopes at the Paris Olympics, Lovlina Borgohain lost a close 4-1 decision to the number one seed, Li Qian of China, in the women’s 75kg quarterfinal bout. Despite her efforts, Li maintained an upper hand, denying India a medal in boxing.Weightlifting:
*
Mirabai Chanu:
The Tokyo Games silver medallist finished fourth in the women’s 49kg category with an aggregate of 199kg. She matched her best snatch effort but narrowly missed out on a medal by one kilogram in the clean and jerk.Archery:
*
Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara:
The mixed team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara became the first Indian pair to reach the semifinal of an archery event in the Olympics. However, they fell short of a medal, losing the bronze medal match to the USA team.These near misses demonstrate the dedication and talent of India’s athletes. Though they didn’t achieve the podium finish they sought, they inspire with their resilience and determination. The future of Indian sports continues to shine brightly with these athletes leading the way.
