Rio Olympics 2016 Gymnastics: Dipa Karmakar takes on the World’s Best in Vault Final
Mangalore Today News Network
August 14, 2016 :It was a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) apparatus, made from the discarded parts of a scooter, that Dipa Karmakar first built her gymnastic skills on.
The Agartala-born athlete has certainly come a long way from her humble beginnings, as she prepares to participate in the biggest event of her life on Sunday, August 14.
It was last Sunday when Dipa Karmakar’s score of 14.850 in the qualifiers proved to be enough, after a tense few hours’ wait, to take her to the final of the women’s vault event in Rio Olympics 2016.
In the process, Karmakar, who is the first female Indian gymnast at the Olympics, became the first Indian, across both genders, to qualify for a final event in gymnastics at the Summer Games.
Tensed household
With only a day remaining for the big final, the Karmakar household in Agartala has been buzzing with excitement. Dulal Karmakar, father of Dipa, has admitted that the wait is causing a few nerves in the family.
"We are very tensed. With the day of the final nearing, the tension has been building up," he told NDTV.
Karmakar senior said he has been receiving phone calls from all over the country following his daughter’s achievements in Rio.
Hailing coach Bisweshwar Nandi’s contribution to Dipa Karmakar’s career, her father added that the 23-year-old gymnast refused to hire a foreign coach in order to continue training under Nandi’s supervision.
"Dipa’s coach has a huge contribution in what she has achieved. I had suggested her to train under a foreign coach, but she refused saying she was happy with him (Nandi)."
In Sunday’s final, Dipa Karmakar will be up against a star-studded line-up. While USA’s Simone Biles, widely regarded as the best gymnast in the world, will be favourite for the gold, the likes of Hong Un-Jong, Maria Paseka, Oksana Chusovitana, et al. are all expected to fight it out for the podium places.
North Korean Un-Jong and Uzbek Chusovitana are both former Olympic gold medallists, while Russia’s Paseka won World and European titles last year.
In fray will also be Shallon Olsen of Canada and Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland, while Chinese 16-year-old sensation Wang Yan and Dipa will start as the underdogs.
The gymnast from Tripura, famous for the scary Produnova vault, has already beaten the odds by making it to the finals. If she manages to upset the applecart and clinch a medal in Sunday’s final, Dipa Karmakar’s place in the history books will be guaranteed.