Abhinav Bindra: First-Ever Olympic Gold Medalist In India

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra will forever hold a place in sporting history as the first-ever Olympic Gold medalist in India. The legendary Indian shooter won gold in men's 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008, in addition to a World Championship gold and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. Born on September 28 1982, in Dehradun, Bindra began his sporting journey after taking inspiration from the shooters he saw on television. During the qualification round at the Athens 2004 Olympics, Abhinav Bindra set a new Olympic record in the 10m air rifle event. However, he couldn't find his form in the finals and finished outside of the podium places. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, as recognition for his efforts in 2009. In this blog, we take a look at Abhinav Bindra, the first-ever Olympic Gold medalist in India.

Abhinav Bindra: first-ever Olympic Gold medalist in India

Since the Beijing Olympics 2008, every time India has sent their Olympic contingent, Abhinav Bindra has been the centre of attention. The athletes have faced pressure and high expectations to meet Bindra's standards. The star Rifle shooter etched his legacy in the history books in 2008 when he became the first-ever Olympic Gold medalist in India. Bindra won the gold medal in the men's 10m Air Rifle. With 79 days left before the start of the much-awaited 2024 Paris Olympics, there couldn't be a better day to cherish Abhinav Bindra. Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra will be one of the torch bearers of the Paris Olympics 2024. Among many records, Abhinav Bindra is the 3rd youngest Indian to represent the nation at the Olympic Games (17 years and 356 days). Famously known as the golden boy of Indian Shooting, Bindra comes in the top 2 Indian athletes with the most Olympic appearances (4 Olympic appearances). Here's a throwback at how Abhinav Bindra has fared in his five appearances in the Olympic Games.

1. Abhinav Bindra at Sydney Olympics 2000

Abhinav Bindra made his Olympic debut at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when he was a teenager. He participated in the men's 10m Air Rifle event, which was scheduled for September 18, ten days before his 18th birthday. Bindra put up a noteworthy performance in the Qualification round. However, his lack of experience became evident as he scored 590, finishing 11th. Only the top eight shooters were able to proceed to the final. Nedzad Fazlija of Bosnia and Herzegovina finished eighth in the Qualification round with a score of 591. Abhinav Bindra missed the Olympic final by a tiny margin, which was disappointing. However, his performance was impressive enough to catch the attention of the Indian sports fraternity.

2. Abhinav Bindra at Athens Olympics 2004

Abhinav Bindra competed in his second Summer Olympics at Athens 2004, representing India in the 10m Air Rifle event. However, he faced competition from his fellow Indian rifle shooter, Gagan Narang. Before entering the Athens Olympics, Bindra won a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Bindra won gold in the 10m Air Rifle (Pair) with Sameer Ambekar. He displayed an improved mindset in Athens by avoiding the mistakes from Sydney in the Qualification round. He finished in third place with 597 points to qualify for the final, while Narang missed the bus after finishing in 12th place with 593 points. Abhinav Bindra was confident and calm before the final event, where he believed that he had a realistic chance of finishing on the podium. However, things didn't go as planned for Bindra during the final.

3. Abhinav Bindra at Beijing Olympics 2008

Abhinav Bindra did not lose hope after failing to win a medal in Athens. When the Beijing Olympics came around, everyone's expectations were sky-high. However, the shooter was feeling immense pressure due to his previous two unsuccessful attempts at the Olympics. Abhinav Bindra yet again found countryman Gagan Narang competing against him. Bindra managed to secure a spot in the final round after finishing fourth in the qualification round with a total of 596 points. Meanwhile, Narang accumulated 595 points, missing out on a spot in the final round by a very small margin. Bindra had prepared well for the final and was determined to win. His focus and determination were evident in the ten shots he fired on the day. In the final, Bindra scored 10.7, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.5, 10.5, 10.6, 10.0, 10.2. Abhinav Bindra and Henri Häkkinen tied at 698.7 points in a straight shootout for the gold. In a clutch moment, Bindra shot a stunning 10.8, while Häkkinen fumbled under pressure and shot 9.7. Abhinav Bindra won India's first individual Olympic gold medal, scoring 700.5 points in the final. His legacy continued when Neeraj Chopra became the second Olympic gold medalist in India. Neeraj etched his name as the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal with a thunderous throw of 87.58 meters in the Tokyo final.

4. Abhinav Bindra at London Olympics 2012

Abhinav Bindra won multiple medals between the Beijing Olympics and the London Olympics. In 2010, he won the gold medal in 10m Air Rifle Pairs and the silver medal in 10m Air Rifle Singles at the Commonwealth Games. He also won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games in the 10m Air Rifle Team event. The London Olympics was the third consecutive Summer Games where Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang competed against each other. The 2012 Games were Bindra's worst performance at the Olympics.
He scored only 594 points during the Qualifying Round and was ranked 16th. However, Gagan Narang managed to qualify for the final on his third attempt, as he scored a total of 598 points. In the final, Narang performed exceptionally well and collected an impressive 701.1 points, which earned him the bronze medal.

5. Abhinav Bindra at Rio Olympics 2016

Ahead of the Rio Olympics in 2016, Abhinav Bindra announced it would be his final appearance. As a result, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided to honour the champion shooter. The IOA made Bindra as India's flag-bearer for the Opening ceremony. After the Opening ceremony, Bindra concentrated on his event. He scored 625.7 points in the Qualifying Round, allowing him to advance to the final. Unfortunately, Abhinav Bindra missed out on a second Olympic medal after finishing fourth in his last final, ending his incredible journey at the Olympics that spanned five editions. Moving to the latest Olympics news, the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics will surely be one of the biggest sporting tournaments held in the last few years. Looking at the India Olympic schedule, the Indian contingent will be eyeing to improve their medals tally to set up new world records in the 2024 Olympics.