Ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar made history on Sunday by securing the gold medal in the individual vault at the Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastic Championship in Tashkent. Karmakar, 30, became the first Indian gymnast to win a gold medal at this prestigious event.
In a remarkable performance, Karmakar topped the final standings among eight competitors with an average score of 13.566, achieving identical scores in both her attempts. North Korea’s Kim Son Hyang and Jo Kyong Byol won the silver and bronze medals with scores of 13.466 and 12.966, respectively.
This victory marks a significant milestone in Karmakar’s career. She had previously won a bronze medal in the same event at the 2015 Asian Championships in Hiroshima. Her accomplishments include a notable fourth-place finish in the vault final at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr. Manik Saha, extended his congratulations to Karmakar and her coach, Bishweshwar Nandi. In a social media post, Dr. Saha praised Karmakar’s historic achievement, highlighting the significance of her gold medal win for Indian sports.
Karmakar’s journey has not been without challenges. She returned to competition last year following a 21-month suspension for a banned substance.
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