Dipa Karmakar etched her name in Indian gymnastics history by clinching the nation’s first-ever gold medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday.
Karmakar, a seasoned competitor, outshined her previous bronze medal performance in the 2015 vault finals by securing the top spot this year. The 30-year-old gymnast delivered two consistent vaults, both scoring an impressive 13.566, to secure the gold with an average score of the same. North Korean gymnasts Kim Son Hyang and Jo Kyong Byol followed closely behind, claiming silver and bronze medals respectively.
This victory marks a significant milestone for Indian gymnastics. Previously, India had only managed four bronze medals at the Asian Championships, with Karmakar herself contributing one in 2015. Karmakar’s journey hasn’t been without hurdles. After a remarkable fourth-place finish in the vault finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she faced a 21-month suspension due to a doping violation. Her return to the sport last year.
