India’s journey in the Olympic Games is filled with many proud and inspiring moments. It all began in 1900 when India first participated in the Paris Olympics. Since then, Indian athletes have won a total of 35 medals in 24 different Olympic Games, demonstrating their skills and determination in various sports.
The story started with Norman Pritchard, who won India’s first Olympic medals. Over the years, many Indian athletes have made their mark on the world stage. They have worked hard, trained tirelessly, and pushed their limits to achieve greatness.
The most recent success was at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Indian athletes continued to shine. Each medal won is a testament to their hard work and dedication. These achievements not only bring pride to the athletes but also to the entire nation.
This detailed list honors all Indian Olympic medal winners, celebrating more than a century of excellence in sports. It serves as an inspiration to future generations, showing what can be achieved with dedication and perseverance.
Indian Olympic Medal Winners List
India has won a total of 35 Olympic medals since the first time they participated in the 1900 Olympics. Let’s take a look at each Indian athlete who has brought home an Olympic medal.
| Indian Olympic Medal Winners List | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | Medal | Event | Olympics |
| Norman Pritchard | Silver | Men’s 200m | Paris 1900 |
| Norman Pritchard | Silver | Men’s 200m hurdles | Paris 1900 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Amsterdam 1928 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Los Angeles 1932 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Berlin 1936 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | London 1948 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Helsinki 1952 |
| KD Jadhav | Bronze | Men’s bantamweight wrestling | Helsinki 1952 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Melbourne 1956 |
| Indian hockey team | Silver | Men’s hockey | Rome 1960 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Tokyo 1964 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Mexico City 1968 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Munich 1972 |
| Indian hockey team | Gold | Men’s hockey | Moscow 1980 |
| Leander Paes | Bronze | Men’s singles tennis | Atlanta 1996 |
| Karnam Malleswari | Bronze | Women’s 54kg weightlifting | Sydney 2000 |
| Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Silver | Men’s double trap shooting | Athens 2004 |
| Abhinav Bindra | Gold | Men’s 10m air rifle shooting | Beijing 2008 |
| Vijender Singh | Bronze | Men’s middleweight boxing | Beijing 2008 |
| Sushil Kumar | Bronze | Men’s 66kg wrestling | Beijing 2008 |
| Sushil Kumar | Silver | Men’s 66kg wrestling | London 2012 |
| Vijay Kumar | Silver | Men’s 25m rapid pistol shooting | London 2012 |
| Saina Nehwal | Bronze | Women’s singles badminton | London 2012 |
| Mary Kom | Bronze | Women’s flyweight boxing | London 2012 |
| Yogeshwar Dutt | Bronze | Men’s 60kg wrestling | London 2012 |
| Gagan Narang | Bronze | Men’s 10m air rifle shooting | London 2012 |
| PV Sindhu | Silver | Women’s singles badminton | Rio 2016 |
| Sakshi Malik | Bronze | Women’s 58kg wrestling | Rio 2016 |
| Mirabai Chanu | Silver | Women’s 49kg weightlifting | Tokyo 2020 |
| Lovlina Borgohain | Bronze | Women’s welterweight boxing | Tokyo 2020 |
| PV Sindhu | Bronze | Women’s singles badminton | Tokyo 2020 |
| Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Silver | Men’s 57kg wrestling | Tokyo 2020 |
| Indian hockey team | Bronze | Men’s hockey | Tokyo 2020 |
| Bajrang Punia | Bronze | Men’s 65kg wrestling | Tokyo 2020 |
| Neeraj Chopra | Gold | Men’s javelin throw | Tokyo 2020 |
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India’s Olympic Medal History
Pre-Independence Era
In Paris 1900, Norman Pritchard won India’s first Olympic medals with silvers in the Men’s 200m hurdles and the 200m sprint, setting an Olympic record in the semi-finals of the hurdles with 26.8 seconds and finishing the sprint in 22.8 seconds.
Post-Independence Era
India’s dominance in Olympic hockey began with a gold medal at Amsterdam 1928, where the team scored 29 goals without conceding any, led by Dhyan Chand with 14 goals. This success continued with gold medals in Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936, where India scored 38 goals while conceding only one, again with Dhyan Chand as a key player.
Post-independence, India won its first gold at London 1948, followed by consecutive golds in Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956, Tokyo 1964, and finally at Moscow 1980. Notable performances include Balbir Singh Sr.’s nine goals in Helsinki and the team’s unbeaten run in Melbourne.
In individual events, KD Jadhav won India’s first individual Olympic medal with a bronze in wrestling at Helsinki 1952. Leander Paes ended a 16-year medal drought with a bronze in tennis at Atlanta 1996. Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal with a bronze in weightlifting at Sydney 2000. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver in shooting at Athens 2004, marking India’s first Olympic shooting medal.
Beijing 2008 was significant for India with Abhinav Bindra winning the country’s first individual Olympic gold in shooting, alongside bronze medals for Vijender Singh in boxing and Sushil Kumar in wrestling.
In London 2012, Gagan Narang, Sushil Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Mary Kom, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Saina Nehwal added to India’s tally with two silvers and four bronzes. At Rio 2016, PV Sindhu won silver in badminton, and Sakshi Malik secured a bronze in wrestling.
Tokyo 2020 – India’s Best Olympic Performance
Tokyo 2020 marked India’s best performance with seven medals. Mirabai Chanu won silver in weightlifting, Lovlina Borgohain took bronze in boxing, and PV Sindhu earned her second Olympic medal with a bronze in badminton.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya won silver in wrestling, and the men’s hockey team secured a bronze after 41 years with a dramatic 5-4 victory over Germany. Bajrang Punia earned a bronze in wrestling, and Neeraj Chopra made history by winning India’s first track and field gold in javelin with a throw of 87.58m.
This timeline highlights India’s rich Olympic history, showcasing achievements from early hockey dominance to diverse successes in recent years, with the Tokyo 2020 performance marking a new high point in India’s Olympic journey.
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Indian Olympic Medal Winners List FAQs
Q.1. What was India’s first Olympic medal?
Ans. India’s first Olympic medals were won by Norman Pritchard in Paris 1900, with silvers in the Men’s 200m sprint and 200m hurdles.
Q.2. How many gold medals has India won in hockey?
Ans. India has won 8 gold medals in hockey, with notable victories from Amsterdam 1928 to Moscow 1980.
Q.3. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal?
Ans. KD Jadhav was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal, securing bronze in men’s bantamweight wrestling at Helsinki 1952.
Q.4. What was India’s performance at Tokyo 2020?
Ans. India achieved its best Olympic performance at Tokyo 2020 with 7 medals: 1 gold, 2 silvers, and 4 bronzes.
Q.5. How many medals has India won in total at the Olympics?
Ans. India has won a total of 35 Olympic medals across 24 different Olympic Games.
