Paris 2024 Olympics: Indian medal prospects and their strongest opponents

Paris Olympics 2024 is set to be held from July 26 to August 11.

While the Indian contingent will hope to better its Tokyo Olympics’ performance of one gold, two silver and four bronze medals from three years ago, it will have to face some tough challenges to achieve that.

Here are five Indian medal hopefuls and their strongest opponents:

Antim Panghal and Akari Fujinami (Wrestling – Women’s 53kg)

Antim Panghal is one of only two Indian wrestlers who have been seeded for Paris 2024.

World championships bronze medallist Antim has been seeded fourth in the 53kg category. She is a two-time World under-20 champion as well.

Last year, she clinched a silver medal in her senior Asian championships debut, defended her U-20 World title and then won a bronze medal at the World championships in Belgrade. The feat in Serbia made her the first Indian wrestler to grab a quota for Paris Olympics. She also got a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

READ | Antim, the last girl child of her family, becomes India’s first female wrestler to win world U20 gold 

In her division, Antim’s toughest opponent is Akari Fujinami. The 21-year-old from Japan is yet to lose a bout on the senior circuit. She is the two-time world champion as well as the Asian Games gold medallist. In fact, she had defeated Antim (Victory by fall) in Hangzhou in the quarterfinals. She also beat the Indian (Victory by Technical Superiority) in last year’s Asian Championships final.

Being on the opposite side of the draw in Paris, Antim can reach the final but to win the gold, she may to have defeat Fujinami in the summit clash.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang (Badminton – Men’s Doubles)

A major reason for India’s recent achievements in badminton has been the rise of the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo had a significant role in the country’s historic Thomas Cup triumph in 2022.

Not only has the pair been consistent on the BWF World Tour, clinching titles from Super 100 to Super 1000 level, but it has also been to places where no other Indian men’s doubles team has gone before – a World Championships bronze, an Asian Games gold, Asian Championships title and to top it all, the World No. 1 ranking too.

The Indians have received a favourable group-stage draw for Paris. However, in the knockouts, they could be up against China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, the duo currently ranked No. 1.

Out of the six meetings between the two pairs, Liang and Wang have won five. None of them have been in straight games but it does give the Chinese duo a psychological advantage in case the match goes the distance in Paris too.

Neeraj Chopra and Jakub Vadlejch (Athletics – Men’s Javelin Throw)

Neeraj Chopra will look to defend his Olympic gold medal from Tokyo 2020. He had taken the top spot on the podium in the Japanese capital with a throw of 87.58m and created history as he became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win gold at the Summer Games. Overall, he is the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to clinch an individual gold medal at the biggest stage.

Since then, Neeraj has become the World and Diamond League champion, and also defended his Asian Games gold medal.

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In Paris, Neeraj is expected to face the toughest competition from Czechia’s Jakub Vadlejch. The 33-year-old Vadlejch (88.38m) defeated the Indian by 2cm in the Doha Diamond League season. He also won the European Championships gold with a massive final throw of 88.65m.

Vadlejch has a personal best of 90.88m while for Neeraj, it is 89.94m. Vadlejch had finished second behind Neeraj in Tokyo but the Czech athlete’s consistency can take him all the way this time.

Mirabai Chanu and Hou Zhihui (Weightlifting – Women’s 49kg)

Having won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will be one of India’s biggest prospects in women’s 49kg category in Paris.

Less than a year ago, Mirabai returned to India in a wheelchair after sustaining a major injury at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. “If we have to compare it to anything, I think it would have to be what happened at the 2016 Rio Olympics,” said her coach Vijay Sharma when asked about the lowest moments in her career.

However, with the help of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, an orthopaedic surgeon specialised in sports injuries, and Aaron Horschig, a strength and conditioning expert, Mirabai has made an inspiring comeback and is now training fiercely for the Paris Olympics.

In the French capital, like Tokyo, Mirabai’s toughest opponent is set to be China’s Hou Zhihui. Hou is the reigning Olympic, world and two-time Asian Games champion.

Hou holds the world record in snatch at 97kg, set at the World Cup in Phuket this year. Her personal best in clean and jerk is 117kg. Mirabai, on the other hand, has a personal best of only 88kg in snatch. She will have to push herself hard in clearn and jerk and lift much more than her personal best of 119kg to challenge Hou.

Lovlina Borgohain and Li Qian (Boxing – Women’s 75kg)

In her debut Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, Lovlina Borgohain secured a bronze medal in the women’s 64-69kg category. She became the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Games after Vijender Singh and Mary Kom.

Since then, she has shifted to the middleweight category and found success in that as well, becoming the world champion at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in New Delhi. On her way to the top of the podium, Lovlina had defeated China’s Li Qian 4-1 in the semifinals.

Lovlina ensured her qualification for Paris Olympics by reaching the Asian Games final where she lost 5-0 to Li.

The two boxers are the favourites in Paris and a clash between the two could decide who takes the gold.

All you need to know about Paris 2024