Paris 2024 Games: How did India perform in the previous Olympics in Tokyo?

India sent its largest-ever contingent of 126 athletes to Tokyo and participated in a record 69 events, earning medals across 18 disciplines.

At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the show-stopper for India, was Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal, India’s first-ever Olympic gold in track-and-field. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

India’s campaign at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will always be remembered for its historic medal haul, a record seven, including one gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

It sent its largest-ever contingent of 126 athletes to Tokyo and participated in a record 69 events across 18 disciplines.

India’s medal tally began with Mirabai Chanu winning the silver medal in weightlifting, becoming the first Indian to do so. Mirabai lifted a total of 202 kg with 87 kg in the Snatch and 115 kg in the Clean & Jerk in the 49kg weightlifting category.

Mirabai Chanu poses with the Silver medal for the Weightlifting - Women’s 49kg Group A on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo International Forum on July 24, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

History was also made in men’s hockey when India narrowly beat Germany 5-4 to secure the bronze medal, its first podium finish in 41 years.

Ravi Dahiya won silver in wrestling 65kg freestyle, becoming the first Indian wrestler to win medals in both Olympics and the World championships.

In badminton, P. V. Sindhu, with a bronze medal, became the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals, having won a silver at the 2016 Games while Lovlina Borgohain bagged bronze in women’s 69kg boxing.

The best of the lot, the show-stopper for India, however, was Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal, India’s last medal at the Games. With his second throw of 87.58m, he won India’s seventh medal haul at the Olympics, surpassing the six-medal haul at the London Games in 2012.

THE THROW THAT WON NEERAJ GOLD! 8⃣7⃣.5⃣8⃣m#Olympics | #Tokyo2020pic.twitter.com/5qnjMC1OCO

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) August 7, 2021

It was the country’s first top-finish in track-and-field in the multi-sport event and also its second individual gold, after Abhinav Bindra in shooting at the 2012 Games.

While podium-finishes provided multiple occasions to celebrate, there were some agonisingly narrow finishes outside the top-three.

The women’s hockey team finished fourth, losing 3-4 to Great Britain in the bronze-medal match, its best finish in the tournament since its maiden appearance in 1980.

Meanwhile, golfer Aditi Ashok missed the bronze medal by just one stroke, which could have been India’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.