Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, 5th August - Lakshya Sen loses bronze medal match; Manika's heroics take India to team quarterfinals; Anant-Maheshwari lose bronze medal match

Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, 5th August - Lakshya Sen loses bronze medal match, Manika & Co. qualify for team quarterfinals, skeet shooters miss out on bronze, freak injury to Nisha Dahiya costs her semifinal spot. Follow Sportskeeda for every update on Paris Olympics 2024.

Right then, it's become quite a norm to type this - but that ends another day full of heartbreaks for India. Hardly anything to write back home for the Indian contingent today.

The Skeet Mixed Team of Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan made it to the final on the back of some terrific shooting in the in the qualifiers. However, they lost the bronze medal match but just one solitary point to China.

Adding to that was Lakshya Sen's loss. He won the first game comfortably and had a massive lead in the second, but similar to his match against Axelsen, he squandered it and lost his chance of scripting history by winning a bronze.

The women's table tennis team edged past Romania on Olympic debut to make their way to the quarterfinals. After two wins in doubles and by Manika, both Sreeja and Archana lost their singles matches. However, Manika was back to rescue the team, winning the match and the fixture.

In athletics, Kiran Pahal finished 7th in her heat, failing to qualify but will be playing the repechage round tomorrow. Avinash Sable, on the other hand, qualified courtesy of his strong start. He finished fifth and narrowly managed qualification. In wrestling, Nisha Dahiya won her first round but a freak injury in the quarterfinals with just seconds left on the clock, saw her lose the match to her North Korean opponent.

Well, that's about it from today. A new hope might rise for the Indian contingent tomorrow, with two very crucial matches - Neeraj Chopra's qualification and the hockey semifinal! Join us back right here for it! Until then, it's Team Sportskeeda, signing off! Good night!

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

So, it's a successful outing for India at the men's steeplechase event with Avinash Sable clocking a confident 8.15.43. The top five make it through from each heat and there's still one heat to go. The final will take place on 8th August and it's going to be a big day for India, especially with Neeraj Chopra also expected to play his final on that day. There's plenty to look forward to in the track and field events. Stick around.

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Here are the standings from Heat 2 of the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1, from which Avinash Sable has qualified for the finals to keep India's medal hopes alive:
1. Mohamed Tindouft (MAR): 8.10.62
2. Samuel Firewu (ETH): 8.11.61
3. Abraham Kibiwot (KEN): 8.12.02
4. Ryuji Miura (JPN): 8:12:41
5. Avinash Sable (IND): 8.15.43

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Avinash Sable qualifies for the final! The Indian runner finishes fifth with a time of 8:15.43, which is good enough for him to earn a direct qualification into the finals. That was a superb run by the man from Beed, taking charge in the initial laps and holding on to sustain that pace, ending up in 5th place.

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Past the 2000m metre mark and Avinash Sable drops to third with a time of 5:28.7. He dropped off slightly in the middle but he seems to be picking up the pace again as we head into the last 1000 metres.

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Sable in the lead!
After the first lap, Sable is going along steadily. He doesn't seem to be forcing the issue right now, which is a good thing. 1000m in the race and Sable leads with a time of 2:40.8.

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Right then. The second heat is underway. Avinash Sable is in the lead with a strong start. It's all about endurance though and there's a long way to go in this race.

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Avinash Sable has been making waves after his performance in the Paris Diamond League and Commonwealth Games. Here's all you need to know about the runner from Maharashtra 👇

Who is Avinash Sable? All you need to know about India's 3000m steeplechase athlete for Paris Olympics 2024

ATHLETICS - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1

Avinash Sable is India's representative in the men's steeplechase. Parul Chaudhary didn't have a great finish in her race. Will Avinash make his mark as India hunt for their next medal. Stick around to find out.

SAILING - Men's Dinghy and Women's Dinghy

Right, some unfortunate news from the sailing contingent. Race 10 for Women's Dinghy, and Race 9 & 10 for Men's Dinghy are cancelled due to the inclement weather. The top 10 sailors move on to the next round based on their standings before the cancelled races.

So here's a summary of how the Indian sailors performed:

Nethra Kumanan:
Positions (points) per race: 6, 15, 27, 28, 28, 20, 21, 31, 10
Total Points: 186
Net Points (not considering the one worst performance i.e. 31): 155
Rank: 21

Vishnu Saravanan:
Positions (points) per race: 10, 34, 20, 19, 21, 13, 7, 24
Total Points: 148
Net Points (not considering the one worst performance i.e. 34): 114
Rank: 18

A big few days lined up for the Indian athletics contingent. A good time then to take a look at how many medals India has managed to ace in Athletics at the Olympic Games over the years!👇

How many medals has India won in athletics at the Olympics over the years?

Fans were not pleased with the skeet shooters Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka, who lost the bronze medal match by a solitary point. Click below 👇

"Another bronze medal lost" - Fans left utterly disappointed as Indian skeet mixed team narrowly miss a podium finish

Glass half empty or half full, how do you view Lakshya Sen's fourth-placed finish? Fans on social media certainly had mixed reactions to his loss in the bronze medal clash - here's a read!👇

"You are a hero for us"; "Too overconfident" - Mixed reactions from fans after Lakshya Sen's defeat in bronze medal match of Paris Olympics 2024

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Nisha Dahiya does not give up due to injury. She agreed to wrestle for the last 12 seconds. Pak Sol Gam steals 2 more points and advances to the semifinals. Heartbreak for Nisha, who is in tears after the defeat.

SCORE - Pak Sol Gam 10 - 8 Nisha Dahiya.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Nisha Dahiya hurt her finger first and then her shoulder and elbow got hurt. She took a lengthy medical timeout, and after the game resumed, Pak Sol Gam took advantage of it. Pak took Nisha down and rolled her twice to earn 6 quick points. She even pushed Nisha out once before that attack. With 12 seconds left, the scores are level.

SCORE - Pak Sol Gam 8 - 8 Nisha Dahiya

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Pak Sol Gam starts the second half with an all-out attack and earns a point straightaway. Nisha Dahiya bounces back with a double leg takedown and takes 2 points. Soon after, Pak tries to go for the legs, but Nisha uses her favorite Kunde technique to earn 2 more points.

SCORE - Pak Sol Gam 1 - 8 Nisha Dahiya

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Brilliant start from Nisha Dahiya. She took her opponent down and then rolled her over once to earn 4 points in the 1st minute itself. After getting 4 points in the 1st minute, Dahiya switched to defensive mode, prompting her Korean opponent to attack. No points were scored in the last 2 minutes of the 1st half.

SCORE - Pak Sol Gam 0 - 4 Nisha Dahiya

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Nisha Dahiya makes her way to the middle with the crowd cheering for her. Pak Sol Gam, the teenager from North Korea, is out next. It will be interesting to see if Nisha can overcome a challenge from her young opponent.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

Nisha was trailing 1-4 at half-time in the first round match against Tetiana. Then, she made a splendid comeback to win the match by 6-4. On the other side, Pak Sol Gum beat Moldova's Irina Ringaci by 10-6. Both Nisha and Pak are unseeded in this competition.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in QF

After an impressive win against Tetiana Sova in the Round of 16, Nisha Dahiya will soon be in action in the quarterfinal match of women's wrestling 68kg against North Korea's Pak Sol Gum.

Although India have narrowly missed out on winning them, the Paris Olympics medals have a very thoughtful design behind them. Read below 👇

How were the Paris 2024 Olympics medals designed?

Earlier in the day, the Indian women's table tennis team registered a win over Romania in their Olympic debut to move on to the quarterfinals. Here is how fans reacted 👇

"Bharat ki betiyon ke kamaal Kar diya"- Fans hail the India women’s TT team for emphatic Round of 16 win against Romania at Paris Olympics 2024

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

Another fourth-placed heartbreak for India as Lakshya Sen goes down in the bronze medal match! A terrific performance from Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia as he defeats Lakshya Sen 12-21 21-16 21-11 to pocket the bronze medal. India's wait for an individual medal from a male shuttler continues as a magnificent campaign from Lakshya Sen comes to an anticlimactic finish.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Nisha has qualified for the quarterfinals of the women's 68kg wrestling category at Paris Olympics 2024. She will face the winner of the ongoing Round of 16 match between North Korea's Pak Sol-gum and Moldova's Irina Ringaci. The quarterfinal will begin at 7.50pm IST.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

This is incredible from Nisha Dahiya!!! What a comeback! With just 11 seconds left on the clock, she launches an all-out attack on her Ukrainian opponent, who tried her best to defend, but eventually ended up conceding 2 points. Nisha then defended well in the last 10 seconds and won by 6-4.

FINAL SCORE - Nisha Dahiya 6 - 4 Tetiana Rizhko

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Nisha starts the 2nd half just like she did in the 1st half, and she goes for Tetiana's legs this time. The referee has awarded 1 point, but Nisha wants 2. The decision has been challenged. The challenge is successful, Nisha gets 2 points. Action resumes, and Nisha pushes Tetiana out again, this time for 1 point.

SCORE - Nisha Dahiya 4 - 4 Tetiana Rizhko

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

It continues to be a struggle for Lakshya Sen as he trails 6-11 in the third game. He has been receiving regular treatment to what seems to be a bleeding right arm that has now been heavily strapped. Follow more over here as we wait to see if he can fight back!

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Tetiana Rizhko dominated the first 3 minutes. After she earned four points, she did not allow Nisha to bounce back. There was a stalemate in between, where the referee gave a warning to both wrestlers. The score is still 4-1 after the first half.

SCORE - Nisha Dahiya 1 - 4 Tetiana Rizhko

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Nisha Dahiya starts the match brilliantly. She launches an attack straightaway and pushes Tetiana out of the ring. 1 point to Nisha. Soon after the action resumes, Tetiana bounces back with counter attack. She takes her opponent down, and the referee gives her 4 points. Nisha has challenged the decision. The challenge is successful, and Tetiana gets a couple of 2 points instead of a single 4-pointer.

SCORE - Nisha Dahiya 1 - 4 Tetiana Rizhko

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

Lee is on a roll now! Lakshya Sen, battling an injury to his right forearm, trails 2-8 in the final game. Hop over here to find out if he can bounce back!

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Both wrestlers have come out to the middle. It's almost time for action!

SHOOTING - Mixed Team Skeet Bronze Medal Match

Another fourth-placed finish for India! China take the bronze in the mixed skeet event. It went very close but India have been edged out by one point as China win 44-43! To catch all the highlights of the match, click here.

SHOOTING - Mixed Team Skeet Bronze Medal Match

A perfect set for both China and India as they both succeed in firing all eight shots. China lead 36-35 at the end of Round 5! Head over here to follow more!

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

Lee Zii Jia wins the second game 21-16! Tough going for Lakshya Sen with his Malaysian counterpart firing on all cylinders. We head into a decider then to crown the bronze medalist - don't forget to follow our detailed coverage right here!

SHOOTING - Mixed Team Skeet Bronze Medal Match

A slender lead now for China after Round 4. Round 3 was leveled at 20-20 but China have now taken a 28-27 lead over India at the end of Round 4. Follow further updates right here!

SHOOTING - Mixed Team Skeet Bronze Medal Match

Even going in the bronze medal match as China led 8-7 after Round 1 before India pulled things back with the score now standing at 13-13 at the end of Round 2! Hop in here to follow our detailed coverage!

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

A good comeback by Lakshya Sen with four consecutive points won but he still trails 12-14 in the second game. Don't forget to catch our detailed coverage of this all-important contest right here!

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Nisha made her entry into the Olympics by beating Romania's Alexandra Anghel in the semifinal of World Olympic Qualifiers which happened earlier this year in Istanbul. Meanwhile, her opponent Tetiana is seeded fifth in the Olympics. She won the gold medal in the 2022 European Championships, and in 2020, she won a gold medal in the Individual World Cup.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

To date, Sakshi Malik is the only Indian woman to win a medal in wrestling. Nisha Dahiya has an opportunity to join Sakshi in the elite club with a top-quality performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

WRESTLING - Nisha Dahiya in Ro16

Alright then, it's almost time for the women's freestyle wrestling 68 kg category Round of 16 match between India's Nisha Dahiya and Ukraine's Tetiana Sova. Three years ago, Nisha won a bronze medal for India in the U-23 World Championships. This year, she will aim to make the country proud by winning an Olympics medal.

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

All of a sudden, Lakshya Sen trails 8-11 halfway through the second game! He seems to have just gone a bit too far with those attacking smashes, erring in the process. He has to bounce back now - follow our detailed coverage here to find out if he can!

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

Another dominant start by Lakshya Sen as he leads 7-2 in the second game. Follow further updates from that match right here!

SHOOTING - Mixed Team Skeet Bronze Medal Match

It's time for Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan to compete for their bronze medal as they take on the Chinese pair of Yiting Jiang and Jianlin Lyu in the mixed team skeet event. Don't forget to tune in over here for our coverage of that contest!

BADMINTON - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match

There's the first game in the bag for Lakshya Sen as he wins 21-13 in comprehensive fashion! Sheer dominance just when it seemed like Lee was starting to pull things back and the clear difference in the attacking games of the two players was on display with Lakshya a cut above his Malaysian counterpart. Don't forget to catch our detailed coverage of the second game right here!