Tokyo Olympics 2020, Form Guide: Tracking Deepika Kumari's performances over last two years

Editor’s Note: For five years now, Indian athletes have been dreaming to make up for the disappointment of a two-medal haul in Rio. The span has been extraordinary, with COVID-19 having thrown their preparations - and the Olympics itself - off gear. However, in true Olympic spirit, the country’s finest sportspersons have battled form and uncertainty to put their best foot forward in what promises to be a Games like none other. In our latest series, we track the last two years’ performances of our athletes to give you a ready guide to their form leading into the biggest sporting spectacle of the world.    Putting behind the disappointment of the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, Indian archer Deepika Kumari, currently the World No 1, will finally aim to end her Olympics drought at Tokyo 2020. Momentum is certainly on Deepika’s side as she will enter the Games on the back of three gold medals — in the women’s individual event, women’s recurve team event and mixed event with husband Atanu Das – at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Paris in June 2021. However, the Games will be the real acid test for Kumari as heavyweights Korea and Asian heavyweights such as China and Chinese Taipei, all skipped the World Cups, having already secured Olympic qualifications. Earlier in April 2021, Deepika, who is the lone Indian participant in the women’s individual event at Tokyo, shone at Guatemala City Archery World Cup Stage-1, bagging gold with a 6-5 shoot-off win over USA’s Mackenzie Brown. The Indian overcame challenges from archers of Mexico (7-3) and Germany (6-0) in the semi-final and final respectively. She also won gold in the team’s event, alongside Ankita Bhakat and Komalika Bari. Olympic qualification Deepika and her fellow archers were competing without the Indian flag due to the national federation’s suspension, and the 27-year-old was clinical at the Continental Qualification Tournament being held on the sidelines of the 21st Asian Archery Championships in Bangkok. She got the better of her Indian compatriot Ankita Bhakat 6-0 (27-24, 27-26, 27-26) in the final to secure an Olympic berth. Earlier in the semis, she had claimed a one-sided (6-2) win over Nguyet Do Thi Anh of Vietnam. But the medals didn’t stop there for the 27-year-old. Along with her mixed doubles partner Atanu Das, she made a terrific effort, as the duo beat China 6-2 to secure a recurve bronze. Click here to check out form guides for the rest of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.