Heartbreak in Paris, glory in Zagreb: From Olympic humiliation to World Championships bronze, how Antim redeemed herself

Wrestling sensation Antim Panghal was expected to be among the Indians standing on the podium in last year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Antim, after all, had won back-to-back 53kg gold medals at the U-20 World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and had also won bronze in the 2023 World Championships.

Her Paris 2024 campaign, however, would end in disappointment and embarrassment as her accreditation was cancelled and she was deported from France along with her entourage. Her sister Nisha, after all, was found using her accreditation to access the Olympic Games Village, only to get detained by police.

And this was after Antim had suffered a 0-10 thrashing at the hands of Turkey's Yetgil Zeynep in the women’s 53kg category.

Antim redeems herself and opens India’s account

More than a year after the forgettable trip to the ‘City of Light’, the 21-year-old has bounced back in style with a second bronze at the World Championships in two years, becoming only the second Indian wrestling after retired star Vinesh Phogat to achieve the rare feat.

Antim defeated Sweden’s Emma Jonna Malmgren 9-1 in the bronze medal match to not only silence her critics after her Olympic heartbreak, but also open India’s account in the tournament that got underway in Croatian capital Zagreb on 13 September and concludes on Sunday.

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Interestingly, she had also faced Malmgren in the World Championships bronze medal playoff two years ago, winning the high-scoring bout on technical superiority.

She never let the aggressive Malmgren gain any momentum during the course of their bout, going for leg attacks initially before opening her account after the Swede was put on clock for passivity. Antim later converted a head lock employed by her opponent into a take down after wriggling out of the tough position and pushing her rival down.

Making India proud on the world stage! 🇮🇳

JSW Sports athlete @OlyAntim dominated Emma Malmgren 9–1 to secure the bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships 2025 in Croatia, ending India’s medal drought in style. ✨#JSWSports #AntimPanghal #BetterEveryDay pic.twitter.com/IB7pVgvYVX

— JSW Sports (@jswsports) September 19, 2025

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Antim led 3-0 at the end of the first period, which later swelled to 5-0 with half-a-minute to defend. She later collected a four-pointer to seal the bout in her favour and stand on the world podium once again.

Indian grapplers had been having a forgettable tournament until Thursday, especially following Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat’s disqualification after failing to make weight. Antim, however, has ensured that the Indian contingent does not return home empty-handed.