On this day in 1952, KD Jadhav wins independent India first individual Olympic medal

Indian wrestler KD Jadav at 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Image: Twitter/
@OlympicKhel

Sunday, 23 July, marks 71 years since an Indian won a medal at the Olympics in an individual event for the first time. The feat was achieved by KD Jadhav, won the bronze medal in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

It wasn’t the first time India won a medal in the Olympics, in fact, India had won five golds in field hockey before 1952 and in the 1900 Olympics Norman Pritchard had won silver in 200 metres and 200 metres hurdles, However, Jadhav was the first Indian post-Independence from Great Britain to win a medal in the biggest sporting event of them all.

Though India continued to win medals in field hockey — in which they won eight gold medals, a silver and three bronze medals — they would have to wait for more than four decades before achieving another podium finish at an individual level, with Leander Paes winning bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

India’s next gold medal would come from ace shooter Abhinav Bindra in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra would join Bindra in the list of Indian individual gold medallists at the Olympics with his victory in the Tokyo Olympics.

India have till date won 35 Olympics medals in total including 10 gold.