How Many Medals India Won in Olympics 2020?
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How many medals India won in Olympics 2020? India won seven medals at the 2020 Olympics – one gold, two silver, and four bronze – its best-ever performance at a single Summer Games. If you’re wondering why “Olympics 2020” and “Tokyo 2020” refer to the same event, here’s the quick explainer: the Games were originally scheduled for July-August 2020 in Tokyo, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a one-year postponement. They were eventually held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, while retaining the official name “Tokyo 2020” to preserve branding, merchandise, and broadcast rights already tied to that name.
The delay meant Indian athletes trained for an extra year under lockdowns, closed stadiums, and constant uncertainty about whether the Games would happen at all. That the campaign still produced India’s best-ever medal haul made the achievement even more remarkable.
Olympics 2020: Fast Facts
- Total medals: 7 (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
- Overall rank: 48th
- Indian contingent size: 124 athletes across 18 sports
- Sports that won medals: Athletics, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Badminton, Boxing, Hockey
- Games held: July 23 August 8, 2021 (originally scheduled for 2020)
- Previous best: 6 medals at London 2012
How Many Medals Did India Win in Olympics 2020: The Final Count
India’s 124-member contingent, the country’s largest-ever at the time, competed across 18 sports at the 2020 Olympics and returned with 7 medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze. This beat India’s previous best of 6 medals from London 2012, and it placed India 48th in the overall medal table. It also pushed India’s all-time Summer Olympics medal tally to 35.
India’s Medal Winners at Olympics 2020, By Sport
Athletics: India’s First-Ever Track and Field Medal
Neeraj Chopra won gold in the men’s javelin throw with a best effort of 87.58m, becoming only the second individual Olympic champion in Indian history after shooter Abhinav Bindra in 2008. It remains India’s only Olympic medal in track and field to date, and it broke a 13-year wait for an individual gold.
Weightlifting: A Silver to Start the Campaign
Mirabai Chanu won silver in the women’s 49kg category on the opening day of the Games, lifting a combined 202kg. It was only India’s second-ever Olympic weightlifting medal, after Karnam Malleswari’s bronze at Sydney 2000.
Wrestling: Two More Medals for India’s Strongest Olympic Sport
Ravi Kumar Dahiya won silver in the men’s freestyle 57kg category, losing his final to Russia’s Zavur Uguev, while Bajrang Punia added bronze in the men’s freestyle 65kg category with a win over Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov. Wrestling has now produced multiple Olympic medals for India across the last four editions of the Games.
Badminton: A Second Medal for PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu won bronze in women’s singles, beating China’s He Bingjiao in the bronze medal match. It made her the first Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals, adding to the silver she had already won at Rio 2016.
Boxing: Lovlina Borgohain’s Debut Bronze
On her Olympic debut, Lovlina Borgohain won bronze in the women’s welterweight (64-69kg) category, India’s first Olympic boxing medal since Vijender Singh’s bronze at Beijing 2008.
Hockey: Ending a 41-Year Medal Drought
The Indian men’s hockey team, captained by Manpreet Singh, beat Germany in the bronze medal match to win India’s first Olympic hockey medal since 1980. The team had lost 1-7 to Australia in the group stage but recovered to beat Spain, Argentina, and Japan before falling to eventual champions Belgium in the semifinals.
Complete Medal Table: India at Olympics 2020
| Medal | Athlete(s) | Event | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Neeraj Chopra | Men’s Javelin Throw | Athletics |
| Silver | Mirabai Chanu | Women’s 49kg Weightlifting | Weightlifting |
| Silver | Ravi Kumar Dahiya | Men’s Freestyle 57kg | Wrestling |
| Bronze | PV Sindhu | Women’s Singles Badminton | Badminton |
| Bronze | Lovlina Borgohain | Women’s Welterweight (64-69kg) | Boxing |
| Bronze | Indian Men’s Hockey Team | Men’s Hockey | Hockey |
| Bronze | Bajrang Punia | Men’s Freestyle 65kg | Wrestling |
How Olympics 2020 Compares to India’s Earlier Campaigns
India’s medal count has grown steadily over the past two decades, and Olympics 2020 marked a clear high point in that progression:
| Olympics | Total Medals | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens 2004 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Beijing 2008 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| London 2012 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Rio 2016 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tokyo (Olympics) 2020 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
The seven-medal haul at the Olympics 2020 wasn’t just India’s best-ever tally in absolute numbers; it also came with several structural firsts, including the first individual track and field medal, the most Olympic-debutant medallists in a single Games, and a return to the hockey podium after a 41-year gap.
India’s Closest Misses at Olympics 2020
India came within touching distance of two more medals. Golfer Aditi Ashok, ranked 200th in the world and caddied by her own mother through all four rounds, led for much of the final round before finishing fourth, missing a medal by a single stroke on the 72nd and final hole. Wrestler Deepak Punia lost his bronze medal bout 2-4 to San Marino’s Myles Amine in the closing 30 seconds of the men’s freestyle 86kg category, after holding the lead for most of the contest. Had either result gone India’s way, the country’s Olympics 2020 tally would have reached nine, a number no Indian contingent has come close to before or since.
Uttarakhand’s Olympic Race-Walking Story
No athlete from Uttarakhand competed at the 2020 Olympics, but the state’s Olympic race walking legacy runs through this era. Manish Singh Rawat, from Chamoli district, represented India in the 20km race walk at Rio 2016, finishing 13th, a performance that helped inspire the next generation of Uttarakhand walkers who followed him toward the Olympics, including Paramjeet Singh Bisht at Paris 2024. Explore more of the state’s Olympians on our Famous Uttarakhand Sports Persons page.
What Came Next: India at Paris 2024
India could not quite repeat its Olympics 2020 high at the following Games. At Paris 2024, India won six medals – one silver and five bronze – with Neeraj Chopra adding a silver to his 2020 gold. Even so, the benchmark set at the Olympics 2020 remains the standard the country is chasing as it builds toward Los Angeles 2028. For the full athlete-by-athlete story of the 2020 Games, read our complete Tokyo Olympics 2020 medal winners guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medals India won in Olympics 2020?
India won 7 medals at the 2020 Olympics – 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Why is it called Olympics 2020 if it was held in 2021?
The Games were originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official name “Tokyo 2020” was retained even though competition took place from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
Which sport gave India the most medals at the 2020 Olympics?
Wrestling gave India two medals (a silver and a bronze) at the 2020 Olympics, matching the two medals combined from badminton, weightlifting, and boxing individually.
Who won India’s only gold medal at the 2020 Olympics?
Neeraj Chopra won India’s only gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, in the men’s javelin throw, with a best throw of 87.58m.
What is India’s Olympic rank based on the Olympics 2020 medal tally?
India finished 48th in the overall medal table at the 2020 Olympics, its best ever ranking at a single Summer Games.
Sources: Olympics.com (official Olympic Movement platform) – Medals won by India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; ESPN – The Tokyo Seven: India’s medal winners from the 2020 Olympics; The Bridge and Deccan Herald – event results.