First Indian Gymnast to Win Gold at Asian Championships
India’s Dipa Karmakar made history by winning the gold medal in the women’s vault at the Asian Gymnastics Championships 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This marks the first time an Indian gymnast has won a gold medal at the Asian Championships in any event.
Historic Achievement in Women’s Vault
Dipa Karmakar, a 30-year-old Olympian, achieved an average score of 13.566 in the women’s vault final. She finished ahead of North Korea’s Kim Son-hyang, who scored 13.466, and Jo Kyong-byol, who scored 12.966.
Previous Indian Medals at Asian Championships
Before this gold medal, Indian gymnasts had won only four bronze medals at the Asian Championships:
- Dipa Karmakar won bronze in women’s vault in 2015.
- Ashish Kumar won bronze in men’s floor exercise in 2006.
- Pranati Nayak won bronze in women’s vault in 2019 and 2022.
Dipa Karmakar’s Impressive Career
Dipa Karmakar is not new to making history. She was the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympics, finishing fourth in the women’s vault at the Rio 2016 Olympics, the best performance by any Indian gymnast at the Summer Games.
In 2018, she also won the women’s vault gold medal at the FIG World Cup in Mersin, Turkey, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at a global gymnastics event.
Close Miss for Paris 2024 Olympics Quota
Despite her success in the vault, Karmakar did not secure a quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics. She finished 16th in the all-round category with a score of 46.166. The only Olympic quota from the Tashkent meet went to the Philippines’ Emma Malabuyo, who finished third with a score of 50.398.
Conclusion
Dipa Karmakar’s gold medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships 2024 is a monumental achievement for Indian gymnastics, setting a new standard and inspiring future athletes.
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