2024 Paris Olympics: Will India Shine Brighter This Time? Analyzing Their Performance in Tokyo Games

The Paris Olympics are swiftly approaching, and the Indian contingent has great expectations this year. Expectations for gold are at an all-time high, as some of the world's top athletes prepare to visit Paris and represent their countries. Before the Olympics begin, let's take a look at how India fared at the previous Summer Games, held in Tokyo in 2020.

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Paris Olympics 2024: Analyzing the Indian contingent's performance in the preceding Tokyo Olympics

2020 marked the hundred years of India sending a contingent to the Olympics as they sent their first-ever representative to send a five-person contingent at the 1920 Antwerp Games. Since then, the country has seen a gradual rise of athletes. India's boom of medals began in the 2008 games when shooter Abhinav Bindra secured the country's first individual gold in the Air Rifle Event (10m). The country has seen a steady rise, but the best effort was at the preceding Olympics in Tokyo when India recorded a new highest medal tally. From Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar to PV Sindhu and Mary Kom among many others have successfully clinched gold.

But it was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when India showed potential and fighting spirit. Mirabai Chanu bagged the silver medal in the 49kg weightlifting category and became the first Indian to do so. PV Sindhu also won a bronze to become the first Indian female to win two Olympic medals, with her first one being a silver at the 2016 Rio Games.   

The Indian Men's Hockey Team broke a 41-year-old wait for a medal after securing bronze. Even the Women's Hockey Team delivered their best-ever finish for the number four standing.

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But India's best performance was delivered by ace athlete Neeraj Chopra, who secured India's first-ever gold medal in the track and field category. His 87.58m throw at the event helped reach India's medal tally to seven, eclipsing the 2012 London Games' six medal haul. Neeraj also secured India's second individual goal medal.

Although seven podium results gave them plenty of reasons to rejoice, there were a few close finishes outside the top three, and they have been working hard to perform well on the grand stage and exact revenge for the heartbreak of the previous edition. Moreover, India's numbers have gradually increased, which could be a good sign for the upcoming Paris Olympics.