Paris Olympics 2024: Indian rower Balraj Panwar, judoka Tulika Mann ousted from Games

Two Indian athletes – rower Balraj Panwar and judoka Tulika Mann – will have to return home empty handed from the Paris Olympics 2024 after failing to finish on the podium.

While judoka Mann was ousted in the first round, rower Balraj Panwar did better by advancing to the Final D in the men’s single sculls event. He finished fifth in final D and 23rd overall.

Competing in Final D, which is not a medal round, the 25-year-old Panwar clocked 7:02.37 and achieved a new personal best score.

Only the three top finishers in Final A are given the three medals in rowing.

In the quarterfinals, Panwar finished fifth in his heat. He progressed to the quarterfinals after finishing second in the repechage round. The top two rowers from the repechage round advanced to the quarterfinals.

Earlier, in his heat he finished fourth in the first heat race to make it to the repechage round. The top three finishers in the heat had a direct qualification to the quarterfinals and Panwar had to compete in the repechage round to get there.

Meanwhile, Tulika, who is a silver medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, lost to Cuba’s Idalys Ortiz in the women's +78kg event.

Ortiz, a four-time Olympic medalist, won 10-0 by ippon in the event that was held at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

The match just lasted 28 seconds as Ortiz trapped Tulika in a chokehold and the Indian couldn’t come out of the hold.

Win by ippon is a term used in judo when judokas throw their opponents to the mat with considerable force and speed so that the rivals land on their back. The move is named Ippon. A win by ippon is also awarded when a judoka immobilises their opponent with a hold-down for 20 seconds or when the opponent gives up.

With the losses, India’s rowing and judo campaign ended at the Paris Olympics 2024.