India have participated in 26 Summer Olympics which is only 3 less than the US but they haven't been that much successful. India have won 10 Gold Medals, 10 silvers, and 21 Bronze medals, making it a total of 41. India's first athlete to win an individual medal was Norman Pritchard. He was the first Asian-born athlete to win medals in the Olympic Games. In this article on India at the Olympics, we'll have a look at every medal India have won in the Olympics.

Read Also: Full list of 29 India's athletic squad for the Paris Olympics 2024

India at Olympics: Every medal India won at the Olympics

1900 Paris Olympics

India debuted at the Olympics in 1900 in Paris under British rule. Norman Pritchard, born in Calcutta, was the lone athlete representing India. He won two silver medals in their debut campaign.

• Norman Pritchard - SILVER - Men's 200m hurdles

• Norman Pritchard - SILVER - Men's 200m sprint

1928 Amsterdam Olympics

India won their first-ever gold medal in men's hockey at the Olympics. Dhyan Chand led the Indian Men's Hockey Team to their first gold medal, beating the Netherlands by 3-0 in the Gold Medal match.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Fielindiad hockey

1932 Los Angeles Olympics

India secured their biggest-ever win (24-1 vs USA) on the way to their second consecutive gold in men's hockey. They beat Japan by 11-1 in the Gold Medal match.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1936 Berlin Olympics

Dhyan Chand made it a hat-trick of gold medals for India, defeating Germany by 8-1 in the men's hockey final.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1948 London Olympics

India won their first-ever Olympic medal as an independent nation. Balbir Singh Sr. continued India's dominance in the hockey tournament, winning the fourth Gold medal.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1952 Helsinki Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team made it five in a row following a 6-1 victory against the Netherlands. Balbir Singh Sr. scored five goals in the Helsinki 1952 final, a record to date. India also won their first-ever medal in wrestling in Helsinki. KD Jadhav won the bronze medal, earning independent India's first-ever individual medal.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

• KD Jadhav - BRONZE - Men's wrestling (bantamweight)

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

1956 Melbourne Olympics

Balbir Singh Sr. led the men's hockey team to a second hat-trick of Olympic golds in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1960 Rome Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team lost the gold medal match to Pakistan and had to be satisfied with a Silver medal.

• India men's hockey team - SILVER - Field hockey

1964 Tokyo Olympics

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

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1968 Mexico City Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team failed to reach the final for the first time in the last eight Olympics. They lost the semifinal to Australia but beat West Germany to win the bronze medal.

• India men's hockey team - BRONZE - Field hockey

1972 Munich Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team brought another medal for the nation. They lost to Pakistan in the semifinal but won the bronze medal following a 2-1 win over the Netherlands.

• India men's hockey team - BRONZE - Field hockey

1980 Moscow Olympics

The Indian men's hockey team brought another gold medal home following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Spain.

• India men's hockey team - GOLD - Field hockey

1996 Atlanta Olympics

India had to wait 3 campaigns for their next medal after going medal-less in 1984, 1988, and 1992. Leander Paes ended the 16-year drought with a bronze in tennis. She beat Fernando Meligani to earn India's 15th Olympic medal and only the third individual medal.

• Leander Paes - BRONZE - Men's singles, Tennis

Read Also: Football at Paris Olympics: Here are the top 5 male superstars you will see in the Paris Olympics

2000 Sydney Olympics

Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal and only the fourth individual medal in the nation's history.

• Karnam Malleswari - BRONZE - Women's weightlifting (54kg)

2004 Athens Olympics

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won India's only medal at the Athens Olympics. He became the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal.

• Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - SILVER - Men's double trap shooting

2008 Beijing Olympics

India won three medals at an Olympics for the first time. Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Singh, and Sushil Kumar made it India's then-most successful Olympics and took India's medal tally to 20. Bindra's gold was India's first-ever individual gold medal, while Vijender Singh won India's first boxing medal at the Olympics.

• Abhinav Bindra - GOLD - Men's 10m air rifle shooting

• Vijender Singh - BRONZE - Men's middleweight boxing

• Sushil Kumar - BRONZE - Men's wrestling (freestyle 66kg)

2012 London Olympics

India won six medals and took their overall tally to 26 in the 2012 London Olympics. Saina Nehwal won India's first-ever badminton medal while five-time world champion Mary Kom became the first Indian woman to win a boxing medal in the inaugural women's boxing edition at the Olympics. Sushil Kumar also became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.

Gagan Narang brought a bronze medal in the men's 10m air rifle shooting. Vijay Kumar won a silver in men's 25m rapid-fire pistol shooting while Yogeshwar Dutt won a bronze in Men's Wrestling.

• 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)

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics

India could only win two medals in Brazil. PV Sindhu won her first-ever Olympic medal, while Sakshi Malik became the first (and to date, only) Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

• Sakshi Malik - BRONZE - Women's wrestling (58kg)

• PV Sindhu - SILVER - Women's singles, Badminton

2020 Tokyo Olympics

The Covid-affected Olympics was India's most successful ever. India won seven medals and took India's overall tally to 35. 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 by winning a bronze medal.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya won Silver while Bajrang Punia won Bronze in the Men's wrestling. Mirabai Chanu won silver in Women's Weightlifting while Lovlina Borgohain won bronze in Women's boxing. Neeraj Chopra won the nation's first-ever gold medal in Athletics and only the second-ever individual gold ever by an Indian after Abhinav Bindra.

• 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

2024 Paris Olympics

• Manu Bhaker - BRONZE - Women's shooting (10m air pistol)
• Manu Bhaker-Sarabjot Singh - BRONZE - Mixed team (10m air pistol)
• Swapnil Kusale - BRONZE - Men's shooting (50m rifle 3 positions)
• Indian Men's Hockey Team - BRONZE - Men's Hockey
• Neeraj Chopra - SILVER - Men's Javelin Throw
• Aman Sehrawat - BRONZE - Men's 57kg Freestyle Wrestling

In a country where sports is often dominated by men, some Olympic stars chose to challenge the ordinary and pave a path for Indian sports women. Indian sport has seen a massive rise in the number of it's female athletes shining at the world stage since the turn of the millennium.

In this article, we will take a look at those Indian female Olympians who made Olympic history.

Also Read: Most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics

Indian Women Who Made Olympic History

1. Karnam Malleswari

Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari created history and became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics. During the Sydney 2000 Games, Karnam Malleswari lifted 110kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk categories for a total of 240kg and finished the competition with a bronze medal. She is also the first Indian weightlifter (male or female) to win an Olympic medal.

2. Saina Nehwal

Former world No.1 Saina Nehwal put Indian badminton on the global map when she finished with a bronze medal in the women’s singles at the London 2012 Olympics.

Saina Nehwal clinched the medal after her opponent Wang Xin of the People's Republic of China retired due to injury during the bronze medal playoff match. After this, Saina became the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal and has represented the country in three Summer Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016).

3. Mary Kom

Star boxer Mary Kom etched her name in Indian sports’ history books by clinching a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics. The Manipuri boxer beat Poland’s Karolina Michalczuk and Tunisia’s Maroua Rahali in the first two rounds but lost her semi-final bout to Great Britain's Nicola Adams, settling for the bronze medal.

It was the first Olympic medal in boxing by an Indian woman and only the second after Vijender Singh’s bronze at Beijing 2008. Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut at London 2012.

4. PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu built on what Saina Newhal had achieved at London 2012 and took Indian badminton a step further by reaching the women’s singles final at the Rio 2016 Games.

PV Sindhu lost the final to Spain’s Carolina Marin and finished with a silver medal after a hard-fought 83-minute title battle. Despite being the runner-up, PV Sindhu created history by becoming India's youngest individual Olympic medallist, a record which has since been surpassed. She also became the first Indian woman to bag an Olympic silver medal.

5. Sakshi Malik

Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik won a bronze medal in the women’s 58kg category at Rio 2016 to become the first Indian woman to win a medal in wrestling at the Olympics.

After notching up wins in the earlier rounds, Sakshi Malik lost to Valeria Koblova of Russia in the quarter-finals. However, with Koblova making the final, Sakshi Malik entered the repechage round and came home with the bronze medal following an 8–5 victory over Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan. Sakshi’s win at Rio was a memorable one as she turned the bout on its head despite trailing 5-0 at one stage.

6. Mirabai Chanu

After a disappointing outing at Rio 2016, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, with a total lift of 202kg, won the silver medal in the 49kg category at Tokyo 2020. With the feat, Mirabai Chanu of Manipur became the first Indian weightlifter to bag a silver at the Olympics.

Mirabai Chanu also became the second Indian weightlifter, after Karnam Malleswari, to win a medal at the Summer Games as well as the second Indian woman, after PV Sindhu, to win a silver medal at the Olympics.

7. Lovlina Borgohain

Assamese boxer Lovlina Borgohain emulated the legendary Mary Kom by clinching a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020. Lovlina Borgohain defeated Germany’s Nadine Apetz in the round of 16 and outpunched Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin in the quarter-finals to secure herself a bronze medal.

However, Turkish world No. 1 Busenaz Surmeneli proved too strong for her in the semi-finals as the Indian finished with a bronze medal.

8. Sania Mirza

Inspired by stalwart Serena Williams, who returned to the tennis circuit after having a baby, Sania Mirza has begun to feel her way back into the sport as well. The Indian tennis ace gave birth to a boy late in 2018 and was on maternal duty ever since. But 2020 saw Sania Mirza return to the court.

Building form with every passing match, Sania Mirza made a fourth Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020, where she made a first-round exit in the women’s doubles alongside Ankita Raina. Sania retired in 2023 as easily the best women's tennis player to emerge from India.

9. Dipa Karmakar

Dipa Karmakar, the shining star in Indian gymnastics, has made Olympic history by becoming the first Indian female gymnast to compete in the Olympic Games. She is among the only five women who have been able to master the Produnova vault. Her awe-inspiring performances and fearless spirit have inspired young gymnasts to aim for the stars.

10. Manu Bhaker

Manu Bhaker won India's first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol shooting event. She thus became India's first woman to win a medal in Olympic shooting. A day earlier, she had become the first Indian woman to qualify for an Olympic shooting final in 20 years.

Manu Bhaker scored 221.7 to finish third in the eight-woman final. Oh Ye Jin of the Republic of Korea clinched the gold medal with the new Olympic record of 243.2 and was followed by her compatriot Yeji Kim, who pipped Bhaker to enter the gold medal round and won the silver with the final score of 241.3.

Competing on the grandest stage of them all, the Olympic Games, is an aspiration for athletes worldwide. Earning a single medal by getting ahead of the best around the world is a massive deal. But not just one win, imagine multiple medals in a single edition of Olympics? That's an extraordinary achievement.

For a nation like India, despite centuries of sporting heritage, this monumental feat has only been achieved by two athletes. 

Get ready to delve into the stats for most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics.

Read Also: Olympic Facts: Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals

Norman Pritchard: India's first Olympic medalist and multi-medal pioneer

• Sport: Athletics
• Olympic Edition: 1900 Paris Olympics
• Medals Won: 2
• Event: Men's 200m sprint, Men's 200m hurdles

Hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, Norman Pritchard was a British-Indian athlete who marked India's debut in the Olympic Games with huge success. He not only holds the record of being the first-ever Olympic medalist from India, but also one of the only 2 athletes to win multiple medals in a single Olympics.

At the 1900 Paris Olympics, Pritchard secured two silver medals in athletics (Men's 200m and Men's 200m hurdles), setting the bar high and inspiring the future generations. His multi-medal success was the only standing record for over a century.

Read Also: Olympic Facts: From Youngest to Oldest to most successful medalists and more

Manu Bhaker: A modern-day multi medallist, 124 years later

• Sport: Shooting
• Olympic Edition: 2024 Paris Olympics
• Medals Won: 2
• Event: Women's 10m air pistol, Mixed 10m air pistol team

More than a century after Pritchard's historic record, 2024 Paris Olympics witnessed another extraordinary individual brilliance from an young Indian athlete. Manu Bhaker, a professional shooter from Haryana, stunned everyone with her multi-medal feat.

Bhaker became the second Indian athlete to win multiple medals in a single Olympics with her 2 Bronze medals in shooting. She won the first one at an individual event (Women's 10m air pistol) and the second one alongside Sarabjot Singh in mixed 10m air pistol team.

Acknowledging the nuance regarding Pritchard's British roots and the ongoing debate about his nationality despite the IOC crediting India, Manu Bhaker is widely considered the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win most medals in a single Olympics.

Paris Olympics medallist Manu Bhaker reached the finals of the 25m Pistol event at the ongoing ISSF World Cup here but failed to secure podium finishes as India failed to win a single medal on Wednesday.

Manu lost by one point

Two-time Olympic bronze medallist shooter Manu finished sixth in the eight-shooter final of the 25m pistol event after finishing fifth in the qualifying round with a total score of 588. Bhaker shot 290 in precision and a superb 298 in the rapid fire round to aggregate 588 going into the finals. However, the medal round didn’t go as expected, Manu missed the chance to move further in the final.

Sun Yujie captured gold

It was a hat-trick of gold medals for the 20-year-old Sun Yujie of China as she beat Oh Yejin of Korea 38-36. Sun had won the gold medals in the last two World Cups in Buenos Aires and Lima.

Chain Singh placed seventh

In the men’s 50-metre rifle 3-position event, Olympian Chain Singh made the final with an impressive score of 592 but eventually placed seventh. Jon-Hermann Hegg of Norway won gold, which put the team in second place on the medals table, behind China, which has won the other three gold medals so far.

ISSF World Cup: Results so far

Multiple Asian Games medallist Esha Singh finished 11th with a combined ‘precision’ and ‘rapid fire’ score of 585 and could not make it to the eight-shooter final. The other Indian in the fray Simranpreet Kaur Brar tallied 577 to finish 32nd.

Meanwhile, Paris Olympics bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale and Ankush Jadhav shot 587 and 580 to finish 38th and 67th respectively.

In the men’s air pistol on Tuesday, Varun Tomar had made the final but finished sixth. Thus, India has only the bronze medal so far, won by Elavenil Valarivan in women’s air rifle in the ISSF World Cup.

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is set to return to Paris for his second Diamond League meet of the year, scheduled for June 20th on Stade Charlety stadium in Paris, France.

Also Read: Watch: Neeraj Chopra finishes second with a best throw of 84.14m at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial competition

Fourth competition of the year

Neeraj will continue his Paris Diamond League 2025 season after a magnificent start in Doha last month, where he achieved his first-ever 90m throw, attaining a distance of 90.23m to finish second. He finished second behind Germany’s Julian Weber, who threw a world-leading 91.06m.

This will be his fourth competition of the year, and he will be aiming to return to the top of the podium after missing out on the last two events in Qatar and Poland.

Paris Diamond League 2025 will be Neeraj's first competition of the month, which will be followed by the Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Gold meet, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 24th. Neeraj Chopra has a busy month ahead as he will return to India within 10 days after these two events to compete in the nation's first-ever javelin-only meet, the NC Classic, in Bengaluru on July 5th.

Neeraj skipped 2024 edition to prepare for Paris Olympics

Neeraj was expected to compete at the 2024 edition but skipped the meet to prepare for the Paris Olympics. Neeraj’s most recent outing came at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Chorzów, Poland, on May 23. Battling wet conditions, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion produced a best of 84.14m on his final attempt to finish second. Weber, once again, claimed top spot with an 86.12m attempt.

Neeraj Chopra started his 2025 athletics season in April by winning the Potch Invitational Meet in Potchefstroom, South Africa, with an 84.52m throw. He is also in the entry list for the Golden Spike athletics meet in Czechia scheduled on June 24 and will headline the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on July 5.

Also Read: List of athletes to participate in Neeraj Chopra Classic

The top javelin throw athletes with the most points at the end of the Diamond League series will qualify for the 2025 Diamond League Final to be held in Zurich on August 27-28. Neeraj won the 2022 edition of the Doha Diamond League but had to settle for second-place finishes in 2023 and 2024.

Neeraj Chopra finished second with a best throw of 84.14m at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial competition at Silesian Stadium in Poland on Friday.

Julian Weber finished first with an 86.12m throw.

Though the double-time Olympic medalist looked disappointed and frustrated after a few foul throws to start with, his fourth year in in top two of every tournament he participated in continued.

Read Also | Neeraj Chopra’s best throws: Here are all the top throws by javelin ace Neeraj Chopra

A few days ago, Neeraj had breached the 90m mark and registered his personal best and National record with a 90.23m throw in the Doha Diamond League. Unfortunately, even in that tournament also he finished second to Julian Weber's 91.06m throw.