With a historic silver medal at 2012 London Games, Sushil Kumar becomes the only Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.
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Sushil Kumar’s name echoed across the country, following his 2008 Beijing Olympic exploits – where he won a bronze medal. It was India’s maiden wrestling medal in 56 years after KD Jadhav clinched the same medal in 1952. However, the wrestler from south west Delhi’s Baprola village was not content with his historic feat as he craved for more. Kumar, who was the Olympic flag bearer for India at the opening ceremony, bettered his previous achievement to change the colour of his medal from bronze to silver at the 2012 London Games. The medal was significant – it was a sixth for the Indian contingent in London and the most they have won at a single Olympic games. On personal front, Sushil became the only Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.
Kumar’s 2008 Olympic medal was a surprise. The young prodigy defied odds to win the bronze through repechage rounds. Four years later, the Indian wrestler travelled to London as a medal favourite and lived up to the expectations. It was his semifinal match against Kazakhastan’s Akzhurek Tanatarov which Indian fans will remember for a long time. He came from behind to secure a historic medal as he etched his name in Indian sporting history. Sushil tried to overcome a bout of diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration before the final, but he could not hold up against Japan’s Tatuhiro Yonemitsu and settled for the silver medal. He might have missed out on gold, but his shining silver was enough to elevate him to legendary status in the country’s sporting history.
Sushil was set to compete in his third Olympic Games in London. Kumar was no longer a promising young wrestler – he was a seasoned pro in his sport. He started his journey at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The Wrestling Federation of India sent him to Bulgaria to prepare for his maiden Olympics. But his Olympic debut did not go as planned. Sushil, who was getting his first feel of the Games at the age of 21, was knocked out of the 60kg category in the first round by Cuba’s Yandro Quintana – the eventual gold medallist.
The wrestler from Baprola village was determined to make up for his disappointing performance in his first Games in Athens. He set his sights on the Beijing Games as he raised his level, which started to show in his performances in various international competitions. He bagged a bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games and a silver at the 2007 Asian Championships and was primed and ready to compete at the 2008 Olympics.
Having moved up to the 66kg category for the Beijing Games, Sushil lost to Ukraine’s Andriy Stadnik in his first bout. With Stadnik reaching the finals, Kumar entered the repechage rounds in search of a bronze medal. He defeated Doug Schwab and Albert Batyrov in the opening two rounds.
Kazakhstan’s Leonid Spiridonov stood in his way for an Olympic medal. Sushil successfully executed his daring scissors move to win the bout in incredible circumstances to win his first medal at the Games. This opened the floodgates as the wrestler went on to win multiple awards on the international stage. At the 2010 World Wrestling Championships, Sushil became the first Indian to win a world title in wrestling. He followed it up with a gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Sushil Kumar’s participation in the London Games was in doubt at one point due to a shoulder injury. With his never-say-die attitude, he overcame the injury concern, winning gold at a qualifying tournament in China to secure his spot in the 2012 Olympics.
A mammoth challenge awaited him in his first round against Ramazan Sahin of Turkey, but the Indian got past him to establish himself as a genuine medal contender. The opening round victory took a toll on Sushil’s body, but he still managed to beat Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Naruzov 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Next up was the semifinal against Kazakhastan’s Akzhurek Tanatarov. In the third round, the 29-year-old Indian appeared drained and gave up a 3-0 lead to the Kazakh in the first few seconds. Soon after, Sushil caught Tantarov by the leg and pegged him down to tie the game up at 3-3. With the Indian contingent cheering him on, Sushil then floored his opponent on the mat to book the final ticket. A second Olympic medal was guaranteed for the Indian wrestler.
After his semifinal victory, something he had eaten did not agree with him as Sushil had a bout of diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. The unfortunate turn of events inadvertently had an effect on his performance in the final against Japanese military man Tatuhiro Yonemitsu. The Indian had to settle for a silver.
The elusive gold may have eluded Sushil in London, but his impressive performances in recent years have helped him achieve God’s status in Indian wrestling. During this time, the wrestler received numerous personal accolades from the country. He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – India’s highest honour for sportspersons – among other personal honours. Sushil Kumar, the only Indian to win two individual Olympic medals, has set such a high standard that his achievements may take some time to be surpassed.
