After 11 days without anything to show for their efforts, India finally got on the medals table at the 2016 Rio Olympics on the 12th day, courtesy of Sakshi Malik’s bronze in the 58kg category in wrestling. Sakshi didn’t have it easy though, but she produced a remarkable comeback in the bronze medal play-off to clinch the medal.
Sakshi won her Round of 32 bout againt Sweden’s Johanna Mattson and then dispatched Moldova’s Mariana Cherdivara in the Round of 16 clash. She, however, lost to Russia’s Valeria Koblova in the quarter-finals.
As Koblova made it to the final, Sakshi qualified for the repechage rounds. She defeated Mongolia’s Purevdorjiin Orkhan in the first bout to make it to the bronze medal play-off against reigning Asian champion Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan. Tynybekova raced to a 5-0 lead before Sakshi found her range. She then scored eight points to win the bout 8-5 in dramatic fashion and became the first India woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling.
Did you know?
Sakshi Malik’s bronze was India’s first medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Sakshi became just the fourth Indian woman to win an Olympic medal after weightlifter Karnam Malleshwari (2000 Sydney), boxer Mary Kom (2012 London) and shuttler Saina Nehwal (2012 London).
India won two medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. After Sakshi’s bronze in wrestling, P.V. Sindhu won a silver medal in women’s singles badminton.
Picture Credit : Google
