Dipa Karmakar
About
Dipa Karmakar is the first Indian female gymnast to compete in the Olympics. Her journey began when she represented Tripura in the 2011 National Games of India, winning gold medals in the all-around and all four events: floor, vault, balance beam, and uneven bars. Dipa first gained international attention with her historic performance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she won a bronze medal in the women's vault final. This made her the first Indian female gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games and the second Indian overall after Ashish Kumar.
She followed this up with a bronze medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships and a commendable fifth-place finish at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The pinnacle of Dipa's career came at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She made history as the first Indian female gymnast to compete in the Olympics and the first Indian gymnast in any discipline to do so since the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Dipa narrowly missed an Olympic medal in the vault event, finishing fourth with an overall score of 15.066. Her performance, particularly her execution of the difficult Produnova vault, which only five women in gymnastics history have successfully landed, earned her widespread acclaim and recognition.
In July 2018, Dipa added another feather to her cap by becoming the first Indian gymnast to win a gold medal at a global event. She finished first in the vault event at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey.
Awards and accomplishments
Awards and accomplishments
Dipa is a recipient of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the country’s highest sporting honor, both awarded in recognition of her performance at the Rio Olympics. Additionally, she was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2015 and was named among Forbes’ list of super achievers from Asia under the age of 30 in 2017.
Why Dipa Karmakar?
Dipa Karmakar’s legacy is not just in the medals she has won, but in the barriers she has broken and the paths she has paved for future generations of Indian gymnasts. Her story is one of perseverance, excellence, and an unyielding spirit, making her a true icon in the world of gymnastics.
