12 august 2024 : Abhinav Bindra finds himself grappling with a mix of emotions as he reflects on India’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. While he acknowledges that India has matched its medal tally from the London 2012 Games, resulting in a joint second-best medal haul in Olympic history, he struggles to articulate the disappointment of not securing a single gold medal. India dispatched a formidable contingent of 117 athletes to Paris, and following a remarkable showing at the Tokyo Olympics three years prior—where the nation won seven medals—there was a prevailing hope that this time India would surpass that achievement and possibly reach double-digit medal counts.
However, with a total of six medals—five bronze and one silver—Bindra categorizes India’s performance in Paris as a ‘mixed bag.’ As India’s first individual gold medalist at the Olympics and a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission, Bindra has witnessed the passage of 16 years and four Olympic Games, during which the country has secured all but one gold medal, with Neeraj Chopra’s historic win at the Tokyo Games being a notable exception. Despite the athletes’ commendable efforts, the overall medal count has not met expectations, particularly in the gold medal category, which remains a source of disappointment.
“The Olympics is an exceptionally challenging platform for athletes due to various factors. It is also an imperfect environment for performance, as external and internal expectations can hinder one’s ability to perform freely. Achieving peak performance can sometimes resemble an art form, requiring a level of surrender that is difficult to attain,” Bindra expressed in an interview with the Indian Express.
“Skill can often be overshadowed in this context. While a few athletes may excel, for the majority, success is not merely about honing skills and executing plans; it necessitates achieving a state of perfection on a day that is inherently flawed.”
