Fifty days to go! With exactly 50 days to go for the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN India takes a closer look at the top 10 Indian medal prospects at the Games and how their preparations for the quadrennial showpiece event is shaping up.
Neeraj Chopra
Neeraj Chopra is currently on a bit of a break from competitions after competing in back-to-back events in May [Doha Diamond League and Federation Cup]. Post that, he felt some discomfort in his adductor during training and with all that's at stake this year, chose to withdraw from the Ostrava Golden Spike event on May 28.
The reigning Olympic and world champion is now training in Kuortane, Finland, and is next slated to participate at the Paavo Nurmi Games on June 18, where he could run into his new rival, Max Dehning.
Every Indian athlete that has qualified for the Olympics so far
It's Neeraj Chopra's world, and he keeps us all part of it
Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat will compete in her second international competition in 18 months at the Ranking Series in Budapest this week. Competing in the 50kg division, this will serve as a litmus test for Vinesh ahead of Paris as she will be up against some top-level competitors here in two-time World Championships silver medallist Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal, World's bronze medallist Feng Ziqi and Asian Games bronze-winner Aktenge Keunimjaeva.
In 50 days from now, Vinesh will have the chance to make herself India's greatest-ever wrestler, both on and off the mat. The road that's taken her this far, though, has probably been the toughest any compatriot has taken to Paris.
Path to Paris: Vinesh has already won the battle of her life. Now she faces the battle of her career
PV Sindhu
It's been a mixed bag of results for PV Sindhu since her comeback after a lengthy injury layoff. A couple of weeks ago, she looked in fine touch and made it to the final of the Malaysia Masters but then a week later she lost, from a winning position, against her long-time rival Carolina Marin. This week though, Sindhu lost in the first round of the Indonesia Open, which was the last major event before the Paris Games.
The see-saw nature of her form may not be a huge concern as she's still yet to peak, but what is worrying is her streak of losing matches from winning positions, which happened at the Malaysia Masters and Singapore Open. There have been plenty of positives for Sindhu, but the next 50 days will be all about ironing out the tiny flaws as Sindhu bids for a historic third Olympic medal.
Malaysia Masters 2024: Solid week ends in loss after several sightings of vintage PV Sindhu
Sift Kaur Samra
Sift Kaur Samra might just be the one who heals Indian shooting's scars. At 22, she has cracked the incredibly hard NEET exam, won gold in women's 50m rifle 3 positions at the 2023 Asian Games -- beating China's world champion at home with a world-record total -- and qualified for the Paris Olympics after dominating a nerve-wracking four-stage Olympic selection trials.
The Indian shooting team for Paris hasn't been officially announced yet, but you can expect Sift to be among the prime medal prospects from that squad.
Currently, Sift is participating in the Munich World Cup where she qualified for the final of the 50m Rifle 3P event after finishing fifth in the qualification.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's withdrawal from the Indonesia Open is a cause of concern. This comes a week after they lost in the first round of the Singapore Open, which either suggests that one of them is injured [Satwik just recovered from one] or that they need to manage their workload better as we head closer to Paris.
Their withdrawal from the Indonesia Open, where they were the defending champions, will also impact their world ranking.
Path to Paris: After historic 2023, 'hungry' Sat-Chi embrace pressure, master the mind games
Men's hockey team
Craig Fulton's men will play their final two matches of their FIH Pro League campaign this week against Germany and Great Britain. The men's team will go into this final stretch on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over world champions Germany [who were, albeit, not at full strength], which was followed by a loss at the hands of Great Britain.
This foreign sojourn, across Belgium and Great Britain, has given coach Fulton plenty of time to tinker with his side as he looks for the final bunch that he will take to Paris.
FIH Pro League: Great Britain stops India's winning momentum, win 3-1
Path to Paris: Indian hockey picks control over chaos in bid for Olympic glory
Nikhat Zareen
Fresh from her win at the Elorda Cup in Kazakhstan, Nikhat Zareen is back in training mode now. She is unlikely to compete in any other events in the build-up to Paris, while the boxing federation is expected to conduct a couple of foreign training camps.
Nikhat has been India's most consistent boxer since 2022 -- she's lost exactly two bouts so far. But there is one thing missing in her locker, an Olympic medal. And that's her mission now: to be the first Indian woman boxer to win either Olympic gold or silver.
Path to Paris: Why Nikhat Zareen wants that Olympic medal - and has a good shot at it
Mirabai Chanu
Mirabai Chanu is adding the final polishing touches to her lifts at the SAI Centre in Patiala. She already knows what she needs to do to medal in Paris: improve her snatch lift to 90kgs and work towards a target total of 200-210kgs.
Anywhere in this region would put her in a prime position for a second consecutive Olympic medal as only four lifters have gone past the 200kg mark in 2024 and only one of them will be in Paris.
And she is ensuring that happens, by sticking to a strict routine, eating bland food and lifting an astonishing figure of 12,000kgs [the weight of five Mercedes G Wagons, or a 17-foot six-wheeler truck] during every training day.
Mirabai Chanu sets marker for Paris Olympics medal: 205-207kg
Path to Paris: Mirabai Chanu goes back to basics for a shot at second Olympic medal
Aditi Ashok
Aditi Ashok recently finished tied 26th at the US Women's Open, which is a stark improvement from her recent string of results. She failed to make the cut at the Mizuho Americas Open and finished tied 35th at the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey.
In fact, this is her best show since finishing 21st at the Women's World Championship in February. This result will give Aditi a dose of confidence as she inches closer to Paris, where she has the chance to erase the hurt of missing out on a medal at Tokyo.
Path to Paris: Aditi Ashok has form and experience, can she shake off big-event bogey?
Lovlina Borgohain
Lovlina Borgohain has been perfecting her craft at the national camp and will compete at a boxing tourney in Thailand this week, which will be her final preparatory event before Paris. Post that, like Nikhat, she will also be part of the Indian team's foreign training programmes.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist is out to claim a second medal at the Games, having moved up from the 69kg to the 75kg division. She's already got the tag of world champion [75kg] by her name. The tag of a two-time Olympic medallist, though, would have a nicer ring to it.
Asian Games: Lovlina loses final but wins Olympics berth and validates her weight switch