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Guwahati, August 11: After a thrilling 16 days, the Paris Olympics will close with a dazzling ceremony tonight at 12:30 am IST. Double medallist shooter Manu Bhaker and Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, renowned as the “Wall of India,” will proudly carry the Tricolour during the Parade of Nations.
The grand finale, set to unfold at the Stade de France, promises a traditional yet spectacular celebration.
At the time of writing this report, China leads the medal tally, with the US close behind. India, with a total of six medals—five bronze and one silver—sits at the 71st spot. This year has been a challenging one for the Indian contingent, marked by numerous near misses.
Compared to Tokyo 2020, India’s medal count has dropped, but what stings the most is the number of athletes who narrowly missed out on medals.
The Victors
Shooter Bhaker made history by securing bronze in the Women’s 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal. She also, alongside Sarabjot Singh, clinched another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol event—India’s first such pair to win an Olympic medal.
Swapnil Kusale added a third shooting medal with his bronze in the Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event, setting a historic precedent for the sport.
In hockey, India’s fourth bronze came from a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Spain, shortly before Sreejesh’s retirement announcement.
Indian “Golden boy” Neeraj Chopra, despite an injury, delivered a stellar performance in the Men’s javelin throw, securing silver with an 89.45m throw.
He was edged out by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who claimed gold with a 92.97m throw.
Aman Sehrawat brought home India’s sixth medal, finishing third in the Men’s freestyle 57kg wrestling event.
At just 21, Sehrawat is the youngest-ever Indian Olympic medallist.
The Near-Misses
India also faced some agonising near misses. Shooters Arjun Babuta and Bhaker fell short in their respective events, while Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan lost a bronze in the mixed skeet by a single point.
In archery, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat delivered a commendable fourth-place finish in the mixed team event.
Lakshya Sen’s historic run in Men’s badminton saw him reach the semifinals but fall short against defending champion Viktor Axelsen and Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze match.
Silver medallist in 2020 Tokyo Games, Mirabai Chanu narrowly missed a bronze in the Women’s 49kg weightlifting, lifting 199kg to Thailand’s S Khambao’s 200kg.
Of all these, the most heart-wrenching story belongs to wrestler Vinesh Phogat. As the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, Phogat was disqualified due to being 100 grams overweight.
Though she appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the verdict has been postponed until August 13.
Over the past 124 years, India has secured 41 Olympic medals.
After the trials of Paris 2024, the nation hopes for a brighter future in the coming Games.
The Closing Ceremony will also mark the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame and the handover of the Olympic Flag to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games.
