Olympics 2024, Day 6 Wrap: Swapnil Bags Bronze; Sindhu, Sat-Chi & Nikhat Out

Let's delve into the key moments and highlights involving Indian athletes on this eventful sixth day of the Games.

Day 6 of the Paris Olympics 2024 brought a mix of triumph and heartbreak for India. Rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale shone brightly, clinching a bronze medal in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P), marking India's third medal in shooting.

However, the day also delivered its share of disappointment. Medal favourites boxer Nikhat Zareen and the badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty saw their Olympic dreams come to an end, alongside PV Sindhu, who will be returning empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time.

Let's delve into the key moments and highlights involving Indian athletes on this eventful sixth day (1 August) of the Games:

Shooting

Adding to India's shooting accolades, Swapnil Kusale clinched a historic bronze in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P), becoming the first Indian male shooter to achieve this feat at the Olympics. 

In contrast, the day proved challenging for the women's shooting team. Anjum Moudgil and Sift Kaur Samra faced tough competition in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. Anjum concluded her run in 18th place, while Sift finished in 31st, both missing out on the finals.

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Archery

Pravin Jadhav's campaign in the Men’s Individual archery ended in the opening round, as he fell to China's Kao Wenchao in the Round of 64. Jadhav, who had advanced to the second round in Tokyo 2020, was defeated 6-0 (28-29, 29-30, 27-28). With his exit, India's hopes in Men’s Individual archery came to a close.

Boxing

India faced another tough day in the boxing ring as one of its biggest medal hopes, Nikhat Zareen, saw her campaign come to an end. Zareen lost to China's Asian Games gold medallist, Wu Yu, in the women's 50kg round of 16.

The judges unanimously awarded the bout to Wu, marking a disappointing end to Nikhat's debut Olympic journey.

Hockey

In a thrilling Pool B clash at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Thursday, reigning champions Belgium edged out India 2-1 in the men's hockey competition. Abhishek (18') netted the lone goal for India, while Thibeau Stockbroekx (33') and John-John Dohmen (44') scored for Belgium, the gold medalists from Tokyo who previously defeated India in the semifinals.

India currently sit third in the standings with seven points, boasting two wins, one draw, and one loss. Belgium lead Pool B with a perfect 12 points from four wins, followed by Australia in second place with nine points from four matches.

Badminton

Lakshya Sen powered into the quarterfinals of the men's singles event with a decisive straight-sets victory over compatriot H.S. Prannoy. The all-Indian showdown at the La Chapelle Arena on Thursday saw Sen in complete control, winning 21-12, 21-6 in just 39 minutes.

In contrast, the men's doubles event brought disappointment for India. The duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought match against the World No. 3 Malaysian pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

Despite a strong start, winning the first game 21-13, the Indian pair couldn't maintain their momentum. Chia and Soh rallied to win the second game 21-14 and sealed their victory with a 21-16 score in the decider.

Sindhu, meanwhile, saw her campaign coming to a conclusion following a defeat to He Bingjiao. The two-time World Championships bronze medallist from China had the upper hand all throughout the game, eventually winning 21-19, 21-14.

Race Walking

In the men’s 20km race walk at the Trocadero, Indian runners Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Singh Bisht finished 30th and 37th, respectively, as India missed out on a medal. Vikash led the Indian contingent with a time of 1:22:36, while Paramjeet, competing in his Olympic debut, clocked 1:23:48. National record holder Akshdeep Singh was unable to finish, withdrawing after just 6 kilometers.

In the women’s 20km race walk, Priyanka Goswami finished 41st with a time of 1:39:55. The 28-year-old Priyanka was the only Indian participant in the women’s event in Paris, marking her second Olympic appearance.

Sailing

India’s Vishnu Saravanan placed 10th in the first race and 34th in the second of the men’s dinghy competition. The 25-year-old, ranked 20th at Tokyo 2020, is currently 25th with 44 net points.  In women's dinghy, Nethra Kumanan finished sixth in the first race.

The top 10 after 10 races will advance to the medal round.