The Produnova Is the Easiest Vault for Me: Dipa Karmakar

India’s only woman gymnast to qualify in Olympics history, Dipa Karmakar says the Produnova vault is easy for her.

Dipa Karmakar. (Photo: Reuters)

Eyeing to become the first Indian gymnast to win an Olympic medal, Dipa Karmakar is set to take on what has been called the “vault of death” but the Tripura girl said she doesn’t find it difficult anymore after training extensively in the last three months.

The Produnova – a handspring double-front somersault – has the highest degree of difficultly for a women’s vault, a 7.0, and only five women in the world have attempted it in competition.

The difficult vault has already led to a horrific injury of French gymnast Samir Ait Said after he broke his leg on the vault in men’s qualifying event on Saturday. However Dipa, who is India’s first female gymnast at an Olympic Games, is more excited than concerned about performing the vault at the Rio Games.

I believe that practice makes perfect, and then it is not difficult anymore. My coach, (Bisweshwar Nandi) ensured that I practised extensively. In the last three months, I did 1000 repetitions of the move.

Dipa Karmakar, Gymnast, India

She also added, “Now it is the easiest vault for me.’’

“Not many in the country knew about this until recently, and now I hope that this vault becomes more famous than me in India,” she said.