India’s rising wrestler Aman Sehrawat defeated Puerto Rican’s Darian Cruz 13-5 in a close Men’s Freestyle 57kg Bronze Medal bout in Paris 2024 on Thursday to become the youngest from the nation to earn a podium finish. It was India’s sixth medal at Paris 2024, including five bronze and one silver.

The Birohar native, at 21 years and 24 days, overcame double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s record for the youngest Indian to achieve a medal at the age of 21 years, one month, which she secured with a silver at the 2016 Rio.

“For this medal, the country gave so much blessing and love, thanks to all the Indians,” the young wrestler said.

The bout between Aman and Darian remained neck-and-neck before the Indian took charge and closed it convincingly. By the virtue of the victory, he clinched the first medal for India in wrestling at Paris 2024. It was also the second successive medal for India in the event at the Olympics after Ravi Kumar Dahiya clinched a silver at the delayed Tokyo 2020.

Notably, Aman defeated Dahiya in the national trials of men’s freestyle 57kg category to earn a spot for India at Paris 2024. He was outclassed by superior-seeded Rei Higuchi, the Rio 2016 silver medallist, of Japan in the semi-finals. He moved into the semi-finals after clinching victories over Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov, former European champion, in the round of 16 and over former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania in the quarter-final.

There is still hope remaining for India in wrestling at the Paris 2024 as Reetika Hooda begins her campaign in the women’s 76kg division on Saturday.