Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, India Day 14: Wrestler Aman Sehrawat attacks his way to bronze, India’s 6th medal (2024)

GOLF
Women's Individual Round 4: 12.30 pm
Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar

WRESTLING
Women's Freestyle 76kg: 2.30 pm onwards (R16 to SF)

Women's Freestyle 76kg R16: Reetika vs Bernadett Nagy

If Reetika doesn't reach all the way to final or becomes active through repechage, Saturday will be the last day of action for India in Paris.

Aman Sehrawat is the youngest ever individual Olympic medallist from India at 21 years 0 months and 24 days. He betters PV Sindhu’s record, who was 21 years 1 month and 14 days old when she won silver at the Rio Olympics 2016.

(Stat via SAI)

Aman Sehrawat's Overcoming Adversity Through Wrestling

The wrestler was 10 when he lost his mother, who had been suffering from depression. A year later, Aman’s father – deeply affected by the untimely death of his wife – passed away as well.

“Aman was 11 years old when he was orphaned. His uncle took care of him but one day, Aman’s (cousin) brother brought him to me,” Lalit says. “I thought, if nothing else, we’ll at least be able to provide him the bare minimum – two proper meals a day.”

Read more about this superb young wrestler, by Mihir Vasavda here. [From April 2023]

India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Aman Sehrawat, is one of the first Olympic medallists from India to welcome young Aman into the club of Indian Games medal winners.

Bindra tweets: "Congratulations Aman! Your determination on the mat, your focus, and the way you carry yourself with humility and grace—these are the qualities that make a true champion. Securing bronze in Paris is a huge achievement, but more than that, it’s a reflection of your relentless pursuit of excellence. I’m incredibly proud of you, and I know you’ve made the entire nation proud too. Keep shining, champ!"

Beijing 2008: Bronze

London 2012: Bronze, Silver

Rio 2016: Bronze

Tokyo 2020: Bronze, Silver

Paris 2024: Bronze*

The wrestling streak continues

Despite securing a coveted spot at the Paris Olympics, wrestler Aman Sehrawat stays the same. Sharing a modest room with fellow athletes at the renowned Chhatrasal Stadium, Sehrawat's dedication to his craft remains unchanged. The only visible sign of his Olympic qualification is a certification proudly displayed on the wall of his shared training space.

Read more from Nihal Koshie here (from the archive)

BRONZE MEDAL IT IS!!!
Our 6th medal at @paris2024 after a comfortable win for Aman Sherawat in the Bronze Medal match! ????#JeetKaJashn | #Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/jgdYKxCSBi

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 9, 2024

Aman trails early on but actually does well to escape a leg hold, decent defense and then concedes just a point. No biggie.

And there we go, shortly after, Aman gets on the board with a 2-pointer.

Here we go then, time for Aman.

Aman Sehrawat Transitions from Junior Success to Senior Challenges

While Aman Sehrawat has dominated junior wrestling competitions, the senior level presents a new set of challenges. The need for a robust defensive strategy has become paramount as opponents are more experienced and mistakes are punished severely. Although Sehrawat possesses a natural attacking style, his coach, Lalit, emphasizes the importance of balance. The focus remains on leveraging Sehrawat's strengths while incorporating defensive tactics to enhance his overall performance on the Olympic stage.

Paris Olympics: Behind Aman Sehrawat’s quest to step into the big shoes of Ravi Dahiya - BY NIHAL KOSHIE

Before his defeat against Higuchi, Aman Sehrawat showcased impressive dominance in his opening matches at the Paris Olympics. He secured decisive victories over Vladimir Egarov and Zelimkhan Abakarov, demonstrating exceptional technical prowess and strategic gameplay. Sehrawat's ability to execute takedowns and maintain control throughout the matches proved crucial in securing early points and ultimately, technical superiority wins. His performance positions him as a good contender for this bronze medal bout.

Read more by Shashank Nair here.

Despite a strong start to the competition, Aman Sehrawat was overpowered by Higuchi, who displayed exceptional dominance. The Japanese wrestler's victory was fueled by his determination to redeem a previous Olympic disappointment where he narrowly missed qualification.

While the loss is a significant blow, Aman still has a chance to secure a bronze medal by defeating Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz.

This was the final bend of the anchor leg. Rajesh Ramesh was *this close* to overtaking the Italian before the final stretch, just had to hold that position and India would have had a relay final to look forward to!

Oh boy. Earlier in the day we had reported that in the men’s 4x400m relay round 1, Anas, Ajmal, Amoj & Rajesh clocked 3:00.58 (SB) and finished 5th in Heat 2. Top three get automatic Q while the next two fastest get “q”. At that time the cutoff for Q was 3:00.08, which the Indians fell short by 0.5 seconds. But now turns out, Nigeria who finished 2nd in Heat 2 were disqualified, moving India up to 4th. So the margin by which they missed out on the final further goes down to 0.32 seconds. They just had to finish ahead of Italy.

Must be massively frustrating for the four athletes who made headlines at the Worlds last year by reaching final.

MEN'S FOOTBALL FINAL

Thierry Henry's France side are aiming to win their first Olympic title for 40 years in the men's final while Spain will try to improve on their silver medal in Tokyo. The

KHELIF AIMS FOR GOLD

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who was thrust into the centre of a gender dispute early on at the Paris Games, fights for gold in the women's welterweight category.

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec went viral for his cool, calm demeanour at the Paris Olympics, but said there were "storms" within him as he won silver in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event. His nonchalant pose, with his non-shooting hand casually tucked into his pocket, sparked a flurry of memes and won a legion fans online - as well as eliciting a tribute from pole vault great Mondo Duplantis and banter with Elon Musk. He eschewed the high-tech gear of his competitors, opting for a simple yellow ear plug and regular glasses as he and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan secured their podium finish.

"At that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually, storms were raging inside me," said Dikec, a former Turkish Gendarmerie officer. "I think my shooting pose represented the Olympic spirit very well: the fair play, simplicity, clarity, and naturalness. That's why it got so much attention."

Reuters

My man?? https://t.co/wg50XGdzqz

— Mondo Duplantis (@mondohoss600) August 9, 2024

Sachin Tendulkar calls for wrestling rules to be revisited

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has spoken out against Vinesh Phogat being denied a silver medal and slamemd the decision for "defying logic and sporting sense"

In an post on social media, the sporting icon said: "Time for an Umpire's Call! Every sport has rules and those rules need to be seen in context, maybe even revisited at times. Vinesh Phogat qualified fair and square for the finals. Her disqualification by weight, was before the finals, and hence, for her to be robbed of a deserving silver medal defies logic and sporting sense. It would have been understandable if an athlete were to have been disqualified for ethical breaches such as the usage of performance enhancing drugs. In that case, to not be awarded any medal and be placed last would be justifiable. However, Vinesh beat her opponents fairly to reach the top two. She definitely deserves a silver medal. While we all wait for a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, 1et us hope and pray that Vinesh gets the recognition she deserves."

Aditi seemed to be recovering with back-to-back birdies but then Hole 7 turns out to be a Double Bogey! Oh boy. She slides down further by 5 places after that. Diksha keeps making Par after that one bogey, and is now ahead of Aditi.

Aditi update: Back-to-back birdies for Aditi! And she is back to being 1 Under Par. A small move up the leaderboard...

Game recognises game

One of India's greatest Olympic athletes, PV Sindhu, heaps praise on another freshly-minted two-time Olympic medallist. "Gold and silver in back-to-back Olympics is a special achievement, Neeraj! We are all so proud of you. Are we possibly witnessing one of the all-time great sportsmen from India dominate his sport like no other? I definitely think so," posts Sindhu.

For context, there are currently only four Indian athletes to have won two individual Olympic medals. Manu Bhaker and Sushil Kumar are the other two.

ADITI UPDATE: Back-to-back bogeys for Aditi but she bounces back with a birdie on Hole 5 to stay even par. And Diksha to has lost a stroke today after a bogey on Hole 5. The Indians needed to make up ground today, but it hasn't happened just yet.

The Fujinami Juggernaut rolls on:

Japanese wrestling juggernaut Akari Fujinami extended her outrageous winning streak to claim the women's 53kg freestyle gold of the Paris Olympics at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Thursday. The 20-year-old arrived in Paris with a 130-0 record and capped her campaign with ridiculous ease winning the gold medal contest against Ecuador's Lucia Yepez Guzman by technical superiority.

In a totally lop-sided contest, Fujinami raced to 10 points while her opponent could not score any and the euphoric Japanese leapt into the lap of her father, also her coach, in her animated celebration. Fujinami had the bout in the bag with a 6-0 lead in the first period and sealed win with a go-behind to maintain the longest winning streak among active wrestlers.

Oh dear, Aditi Ashok with a bogey for Hole No. 3, just as yesterday. And she now goes Par overall and has slipped down the leaderboard. Can't afford these slip ups. Diksha makes Par for the third hole.

India's track & field events over.

1. Neeraj Chopra: SILVER (2nd best lifetime throw)

2. Avinash Sable: Finalist (11th)

Honourable mention: Men's 4x400m relay, who came really close to cracking the final today

But the rest of the contingent have been rather disappointing. Not that medals were expected other than Neeraj but to see some of the athletes fall below their personal bests, is a very worrying sign.

Arshad Nadeem's Gold Medal Win: From Village to Victory

Hailing from the humble village of Mian Channu, Pakistan, Arshad Nadeem's journey to Olympic gold is a testament to his determination and talent. Growing up in a modest household with limited resources, Nadeem's early days were spent playing cricket before his brothers encouraged him to pursue athletics. His father, a hardworking mason, supported his son's aspirations, even in the face of financial challenges. Despite initial dreams of cricket stardom, Nadeem's exceptional abilities in javelin throw propelled him to international recognition, culminating in a historic Olympic gold medal win.

Read more here by Nitin Sharma.

Shehzadaaa pic.twitter.com/PTaPaHXeJL

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 8, 2024

Diksha Dagar will also get going shortly... and she is in the group of 3 golfers that also has world No 1 Nelly Korda. After Nelly walks out to huge cheers from the crowd, and gets close to where Diksha she is, they both shake hands. "Hi, I am Diksha," she says, going by our limited lip-reading skills.

Diksha has had great starts in both Rounds 1 & 2, but has had issues in the Back 9. Can she improve it today?

Alright then, here we go. Aditi Ashok has teed off for the day. And Diksha will soon follow. Both 1-Under Par. And both need really good days to move up the leaderboard and stand a chance tomorrow in Round 4.

1- The matter has been referred to the Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC (AUS), sitting as a Sole Arbitrator, who will hold a hearing with the parties today. The Sole Arbitrator’s decision is expected to be issued before the end of the Olympic Games.

2. Vinesh's team sought a decision from the CAS Ad hoc Division asking for another weigh-in before the final match as well as a declaration that she be declared eligible and qualified to participate in the final. But that wasn't possible within the time frame (the final took place that night between USA & CUB as scheduled)

SO CLOE TO THE FINAL:The Indian quartet of Anas, Ajmal, Amoj and Rajesh keep themselves in the mix for the third spot till the very end of the anchor leg. The third leg from Amoj was a scorcher. In the end though, India finish fifth with a timing of 3:00.58... just above their NR mark from last year. And they miss out on the "q" spot by about 0.5 seconds.

As always, Anas will start for India. They need to be seriously pushing sub-3 minutes here.

The Indian Olympic Association is delighted to announce the nomination of hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh as the joint flagbearer with pistol shooter Manu Bhaker at the Closing Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

IOA President PT Usha said Sreejesh was both an emotional and popular choice within the IOA leadership, including the Chef de Mission Gagan Narang, and the entire Indian contingent. Dr. Usha said she had spoken with javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who claimed his second successive Olympic Games medal by winning silver on Thursday.

HEAT 1: That's a SERIOUS first Heat as Botswana line up with their superstar Tebogo! And the man who stunned everyone with his incredible 200m gold last night, takes a strong lead in the first leg and Botswana go first. USA were struggling. But they catch up in the end for third Q.

The men's 4x400m relay team that caught everyone's imagination with their incredible sub-3 minute timing at the World Championships last year, will be in Lane 1 in Heat 2.

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and next 2 fastest (q) advance to Final

India finish 8th in Heat 2, and 15th out of 16 teams overall with a timing of 3:32.51. That is around four seconds off their Season Best.

HEAT 1: USA, Gret Britan, and a super finish by France takes through to the FINAL in the automatic spots. First 3 in each heat (Q) and next 2 fastest (q) advance to Final Indi have to target at least 3.24~ it looks like, going to be tough.

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and next 2 fastest (q) advance to Final. India are in Heat 2.

India's National Record: 3:26.89

While our attention has been on Diksha & Aditi, Round 2 saw some stunning performances at the top...

Morgane Metraux of Switzerland gave up her spot to her sister in the last Olympics so she could concentrate on her tour status. She had the stage to herself Thursday at Le Golf National that made it worth the wait. Metraux had eight 3s on her card on the front nine — an 8-under 28 — until getting slowed by the wind and a bad shot at the wrong time. She still had a 6-under 66, giving her a one-shot lead over Ruoning Yin of China at the halfway point of the women's golf competition.

One week after the men's competition had a dynamic medal chase, the women lined up for some special possibilities of their own. Lydia Ko, the only golfer to win medals in the last two Olympics, had a 67 and was only three shots behind. The Kiwi star — she reached No. 1 in the world at age 17 — won the silver in Rio de Janeiro and the bronze in Tokyo. A gold would put her into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Mariajo Uribe of Colombia is retiring from golf and wanted the Olympics to be her final competition. She had another 70 and was four behind. Celine Boutier had the French crowd chanting and singing again, but she had three straight 6s on her card along the back nine for a 76. She was five behind. N

A historic moment unfolded at the Olympics as rivals India and Pakistan clinched the top two spots in the javelin throw. This unprecedented achievement shattered stereotypes and defied expectations. Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem, the respective national heroes, transformed the sporting landscape for their countries, propelling them to new heights of international recognition.

Read more from Mihir Vasavda at Stade de France last night.

On whether he is already looking forward to LA 2028:

'It's not about the medal but about the distance. I think I have a lot more to show. I don’t have a problem with the silver medal, and 89.45m is a good throw, but until I am satisfied with my distance, I can't be happy. There are many competitions before LA, and I hope I can increase the distance and fly the country's flag as high as possible. Whenever the flag is in my hand, I feel proud, whether I win a medal or not, for bringing the flag to a sport like this that many didn't know about.'

Source: JioCinema

PR Sreejesh's father, P Raveendran, experiences a whirlwind of emotions as he awaits his son's final hockey match. His son is set to conclude his illustrious career. While excitement builds for the momentous occasion, a tinge of sadness and uncertainty clouds the father's heart. The prospect of having Sreejesh home more frequently is bittersweet, as the possibility of a coaching career looms. As the clock ticks closer to the game's start, Raveendran's anxiety intensifies, marking a significant chapter in both his and his son's lives.

Sandip G was at Sreejesh's house yesterday and this is an absolute must-read.

STATEMENT:

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal to be awarded the silver medal in the Women’s Wrestling 50kg competition in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be represented by renowned senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania before the Court of Arbitration for Sport ad hoc division at 2-00 p.m. today.

The Indian Olympic Association is assisting Vinesh Phogat with her appeal after she was disqualified from the competition for being 100gm over the stipulated 50kg on the second day of her competition. She had made the weight on the first day and won three bouts on her way to the final.

United World Wrestling (UWW) competition rules stipulate that a wrestler’s results would be annulled if he (or she) does not make the weight on either day of competition. IOA President Dr. PT Usha and Wrestling Federation of India President Sanjay Singh had requested UWW President Nenad Lalovic on Wednesday to not annul Vinesh’s results from the first day.

In a shocking turn of events, India’s wrestling star Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after failing to meet the weight requirements for the women’s 50kg category.

Vinesh Phogat was roughly over 100 grams of the permissible limit.

Vinesh, who had reached… pic.twitter.com/c4wEKzbCsZ

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