Tashkent: In a remarkable achievement, Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar secured a gold medal at the Asian Senior Championships held in Tashkent. The 30-year-old athlete made history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to clinch the top spot in the women’s vault event. The competition concluded on Sunday, and Dipa’s outstanding performance earned her an average score of 13.566 in the vault final.
The podium also saw North Korea’s Kim Son Hyang and Jo Kyong Byeol, who won the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Kim Son Hyang scored 13.466, while Jo Kyong Byeol achieved a score of 12.966.
Dipa Karmakar’s journey to this gold medal was paved with determination and previous successes. She had previously finished fourth in the vault final at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a bronze medal in the same event during the 2015 Asian Championships. Notably, Ashish Kumar also secured a bronze medal in the individual floor exercise at the 2015 Asian Championships.
The Sports Authority of India celebrated Dipa’s historic win, tweeting, “History created at the Asian Gymnastic Championships. Inspirational, congratulations to Dipa on winning the gold medal.” Dipa’s achievements extend beyond Asia; she had already made waves by winning the gold medal in the vault at the 2018 FIG World Cup in Mersin, Turkey, making her the first Indian gymnast to achieve this feat in a global competition.
Despite her remarkable comeback last year after a 21-month suspension due to doping violations, Dipa Karmakar will miss the upcoming Paris Olympics. Her 16th-place finish in the all-around category during the Asian Championship, with a score of 46.166, means she won’t be part of the Olympic contingent. The Asian Championship served as the final Olympic qualifier, and Dipa’s absence from the World Cup in Cottbus, Germany (held from February 22 to 25), following her fifth-place finish in the World Cup in Cairo (held from February 15 to 18), underscores the significance of this event for Olympic hopefuls.
