Olympics photo-flashback: India's medal-worthy moments
A look at some of India’s memorable wins at the Olympics
Image by : Bob Rosato/ Sports Illustrated/ Getty Images
1/8
(10m air rifle shooting)
Gold, 2008, Beijing
Bindra’s was the first individual gold won by India at the Games, and the second since the hockey team’s victory at Moscow in 1980. Bindra shot into prominence in 1998, when, as a 15-year-old, he became the youngest participant at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur; he was also the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Image by : Getty Images
2/8
(Tennis)
Bronze, 1996, Atlanta
Today, at 43, Leander Paes is considered one of the best doubles and mixed doubles players in tennis history. Back in 1996, he was a 23-year-old who had won India its first individual medal in 44 years by beating Fernando Meligeni of Brazil. Paes has gone on to become the first Indian, and the only tennis player, to compete in seven consecutive Olympics, between 1992 and 2016.
Image by : Reuters
3/8
(Weightlifting)
Bronze, 2000, Sydney
Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Games when she lifted 110 kg in ‘snatch’, and 130 kg in the ‘clean and jerk’ category. Malleswari, a two-time World Championship gold medallist, was the only Indian medal winner at the Sydney Games and has, since then, remained the only medallist weightlifter from the country.
Image by : Ryan Pierse/ Getty Images
4/8
(Wrestling)
Bronze, 2008, Beijing
Silver, 2012, London
Sushil Kumar is the only Indian to have won two individual medals at the Olympics. In 2010, he also became the first Indian to win the World Wrestling Championship. Although the 2016 wrestling squad is the country’s largest ever, Kumar will not be part of it as his category was dropped and he was reclassified from 66 kg to 74 kg. Narsingh Yadav will represent India in the category.
Image by : Michael Regan/ Getty Images
5/8
(Badminton)
Bronze, 2012, London
Nehwal became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal for badminton when her opponent, China’s Wang Xin, injured her knee during the bronze medal match and pulled out. She is also the first Indian woman, and the second Indian (after Prakash Padukone), to be ranked World No. 1.
Image by : Jamie McDonald
6/8
(Boxing)
Bronze, 2012, London
Mary Kom became the second boxer to win a medal at the Games, after Vijender Singh got a bronze at Beijing in 2008. The five-time World Championship winner missed out on a possible gold after losing the semifinal bout to the UK’s Nicola Adams in the 51 kg flyweight category.
Image by : Guang Niu/ Reuters
7/8
(Double Trap Shooting)
Silver, 2004, Athens
Rathore became the first Indian post-independence to win an individual silver at the Games. In 2002, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and set a Commonwealth Games record of 192 targets out of 200; the record still stands.
Between 2002 and 2006, he won several other international medals.
Image by : Desmond Boylan / Reuters
8/8
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