Indian Olympic Medal Winners

History

The modern Olympic Games were revived by French educator Pierre de Coubertin, inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics held at Olympia from 776 BC. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896 with 14 nations and 241 athletes competing in 43 events. The Games have been held every 4 years since (interrupted only by World Wars I and II in 1916, 1940, 1944). The Winter Olympics began in 1924. The Paralympic Games run alongside the Olympics since 1960. India first participated at the 1900 Paris Olympics, represented by Norman Pritchard.

Governed By

The Olympic Games are governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded in 1894 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC selects the host city, sets the rules, and manages the Olympic programme. India is represented by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), founded in 1927, headquartered in New Delhi. Athletes compete for their national Olympic committee, not directly for the IOC.

The Medals

Olympic medals are awarded to the top 3 finishers in each event. The gold medal is actually made of silver plated with at least 6 grams of gold (pure gold medals were last awarded in 1912). The silver medal is made of silver, and the bronze medal is made of red brass (copper and zinc). Medal designs are unique to each Games but must include the Olympic rings and the name of the Games. Host nations design the medals, often incorporating local cultural motifs.

India at the Olympics

• India's Olympic debut: 1900 Paris (Norman Pritchard, 2 silvers)
• First gold: 1928 Amsterdam (Men's Hockey)
• First individual gold: Abhinav Bindra, 2008 Beijing (10m Air Rifle)
• Best haul: Tokyo 2020 — 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
• India's most decorated sport: Hockey (8 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze = 12 medals total)
• National Sports Day (29 August) honours Dhyan Chand, the "Wizard of Hockey"