India's history in the Olympic Games is 124 years old. From Paris 1900 to Paris 2024, India at Olympics has been very special. Tokyo Olympics 2020 was the most successful year for India and the country had the second best performance in the Paris Olympics 2024.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

In the Olympic history spanning over 100 years, India has won a total of 41 medals, which include 10 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze. Hockey has been the most fruitful sport for India in terms of medals. Interestingly, India has won 8 out of 10 gold medals only in men's hockey. Apart from this, India has succeeded in winning medals in boxing, wrestling, tennis, badminton, shooting, athletics and weightlifting. Here is India's Olympic medal tally by every edition.

India at Olympics

1900 Paris Olympics | 2 Medals

Norman Pritchard - Silver - Men's 200m hurdles
Norman Pritchard - Silver - Men's 200m sprint

India first participated in the Paris Olympics in 1900, with Norman Pritchard winning 2 silver medals in athletics (men's 200 m and men's 200 m hurdles). He became India's first medal winner in the Olympics. With this, India became the first Asian country to win an Olympic medal. Pritchard was the first Indian (British-Indian) athlete to win more than one Olympic medal for the country.

1928 Amsterdam Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

India won their first-ever gold medal at the Olympics in men's hockey. Dhyan Chand led a dominant team to gold, kicking off a streak of six consecutive gold medals.

1932 Los Angeles Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

India secured their biggest-ever win (24-1 vs USA) en route to their second consecutive gold in men's hockey.

1936 Berlin Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

Dhyan Chand made it a hat-trick of gold medals for India, defeating Germany in the men's hockey final.

1948 London Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

India won their first-ever Olympic medal as an independent nation, with no surprise as to its origin. A new generation of hockey players led by Balbir Singh Sr. continued India's dominance.

1952 Helsinki Olympics | 2 Medals

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
KD Jadhav - Bronze - Men's wrestling (bantamweight)

India got its first individual Olympic medal in the 1952 Olympics when Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav created history in wrestling. Initially he was not selected in the team and later on the request of the Maharaja of Patiala, he got a place in the team. Jadhav, who won the bronze medal, could not get a chance to play in the Olympics again and he started working in Maharashtra Police.

The Indian men's hockey team made it five in a row, with Balbir Singh Sr. increasing his legend with a superb performance in the final.

1956 Melbourne Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

As far as team sports are concerned, the Indian men's hockey team had set a record by winning 6 consecutive gold medals in the Olympics between 1928 and 1956. This is an Olympic feat not bettered in a team event apart from USA's basketball teams.

1960 Rome Olympics | Medals

India men's hockey team - Silver - Field hockey

India reached double digits in their Olympic medal tally but it wasn't a gold in men's hockey as expected, with a Balbir Singh Sr. - less India losing to Pakistan in the final.

1964 Tokyo Olympics | Medals

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

The Indian men's hockey team faced Pakistan in the final for a third consecutive time but won gold this time.

1968 Mexico City Olympics | 1 Medals

India men's hockey team - Bronze - Field hockey

The Indian men's hockey team failed to reach the final for the first time in the last eight Olympics, losing in the semifinal to Australia and then beating West Germany to win bronze.

Also Read: 10 athletes to watch out for at Paris Olympics 2024

1972 Munich Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Bronze - Field hockey

India made it 10 consecutive medals for the men's hockey team, as well as the nation, which went medal-less in 1976. A loss to Pakistan in the semifinal was followed by a win over Netherlands to win bronze.

1980 Moscow Olympics | 1 Medal

India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey

The Indian men's hockey team returned to the summit, after a catastrophic 1976 Olympics and won gold. It would be Indian hockey's last medal until the bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

1996 Atlanta Olympics | 1 Medal

Leander Paes - Bronze - Men's singles, Tennis

Leander Paes did the work of getting the country, which was very enthusiastic about hockey, interested in tennis. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Paes made it to the semi-finals and there he had to face defeat against Andre Agassi. The bronze medal won by Paes is India's first and only Olympic medal which has come from tennis. This medal came after returning empty-handed from 3 consecutive Olympics.

2000 Sydney Olympics | 1 Medal

Karnam Malleswari - Bronze - Women's weightlifting (54kg)

Karnam Malleswari is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal in weightlifting in the 2000 Olympics. In this event, she lifted a weight of 240 kg.

2004 Athens Olympics | 1 Medal

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - Silver - Men's double trap shooting

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the first Indian to win a silver medal in shooting. He is also the first Indian to win an individual silver medal. He achieved this feat in 2004.

2008 Beijing Olympics | 3 Medals

Abhinav Bindra - Gold - Men's 10m air rifle shooting
Vijender Singh - Bronze - Men's middleweight boxing
Sushil Kumar - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 66kg)

Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in shooting in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. He became the first player to win an individual Olympic gold for India.

2012 London Olympics | 6 Medals

Gagan Narang - Bronze - Men's 10m air rifle shooting
Vijay Kumar - Silver - Men's 25m rapid-fire pistol shooting
Saina Nehwal - Bronze - Women's singles, Badminton
Mary Kom - Bronze - Women's flyweight boxing
Yogeshwar Dutt - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 60kg)
Sushil Kumar - Silver - Men's wrestling (freestyle 66kg)

India doubled their best-ever tally at the Olympics, with six medals taking their overall tally to 26. Saina Nehwal won India's first-ever badminton medal, with five-time world champion Mary Kom becoming the first Indian woman to win a boxing medal (only because this was the first edition of women's boxing at the Olympics). Sushil Kumar also became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics | 2 Medals

Sakshi Malik - Bronze - Women's wrestling (58kg)
PV Sindhu - Silver - Women's singles, Badminton

India were swiftly brought back down to earth after the success of London, with only two medals in Brazil. PV Sindhu won her first Olympic medal, while Sakshi Malik became the first (and till date, only) Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

2020 Tokyo Olympics | 7 Medals

Mirabai Chanu - Silver - Women's weightlifting (49kg)
PV Sindhu - Bronze - Women's singles, Badminton
Lovlina Borgohain - Bronze - Women's welterweight boxing
India men's hockey team - Bronze - Field hockey
Ravi Kumar Dahiya - Silver - Men's wrestling (freestyle 57kg)
Bajrang Punia - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 65kg)
Neeraj Chopra - Gold - Men's javelin throw

The Covid-affected Tokyo Olympics proved to be India's most successful ever, with seven medals taking India's overall tally to 35 medals. PV Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win multiple Olympic medals, while the Indian men's hockey team ended their 41-year medal drought. Neeraj Chopra won the nation's first-ever gold medal in Athletics (and only the second individual gold ever by an Indian).

2024 Paris Olympics | 6 Medals

Silver - Neeraj Chopra - 2024 Paris - Athletics men’s Javelin throw
Bronze - Manu Bhaker - 2024 Paris - Shooting women’s 10m air pistol
Bronze - Manu Bhaker - 2024 Paris - Shooting 10m air pistol mixed team
Bronze - Sarabjot Singh - 2024 Paris - Shooting 10m air pistol mixed team
Bronze - Swapnil Kusale - 2024 Paris - Shooting men’s 50m rifle 3 positions
Bronze - Men’s Hockey Team - 2024 Paris - Men’s field hockey
Bronze - Aman Sehrawat - 2024 Paris - Wrestling men’s 57kg freestyle

The Paris Olympics 2024 proved to be India's second joint most successful ever, with six medals taking India's overall tally to 41 medals. Manu Bhaker brought two bronze medals home, one in individual event and one in mixed event with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol. Swapnil Kusale also won bronze in shooting, winning in the Men's 50m rifle 3 positions.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team also won bronze and held their postiion at the top in terms of winning the most medals at the hockey event at the Olympics. Neeraj Chopra couldn't bring gold home this time but clinched a silver medal to extend India's medal tally. India were missing out on the Wrestling and Aman Sehrawat filled that gap by winning the fifth bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics.

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