India's Nethra Kumanan won the bronze medal in the women's dinghy event at the Asian Games on Friday, finally breaking her continental medal jinx in her fourth appearance and giving India its third sailing medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
A comeback on the final day
The 29-year-old Chennai sailor recovered strongly after a difficult opening race of the finals to secure a podium finish. Nethra ended level on points with Hong Kong's Stephanie Louise Norton, but her superior head-to-head record in the final races handed her the bronze.
She finished with 14 points overall — seven from the qualification races and seven from the finals. Thailand's Sophia Montgomery took gold with five points, while Singapore's Jania Ang claimed silver with 13 points. In sailing, lower scores are better, with competitors awarded points matching their finishing position in each race.
Fourth time lucky
The medal was a long time coming for the two-time Olympian. Nethra had competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, narrowly missing the podium twice with fourth-place finishes. Her persistence finally paid off in Aichi-Nagoya, where she entered the final day with the medal within reach and delivered when it mattered.
India's sailors have enjoyed their best-ever outing at these Games. Before Friday, Manu Francis and Prince Noble had won silver in the men's skiff event, while Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma claimed bronze in the women's skiff after China, which had originally finished third, was disqualified.
Sources:
The Economic Times: Asian Games: Nethra Kumanan wins bronze in women's dinghy to secure India's third sailing medal
The Times of India: Asian Games: Nethra Kumanan ends long wait for maiden sailing medal with bronze
A comeback on the final day
The 29-year-old Chennai sailor recovered strongly after a difficult opening race of the finals to secure a podium finish. Nethra ended level on points with Hong Kong's Stephanie Louise Norton, but her superior head-to-head record in the final races handed her the bronze.
She finished with 14 points overall — seven from the qualification races and seven from the finals. Thailand's Sophia Montgomery took gold with five points, while Singapore's Jania Ang claimed silver with 13 points. In sailing, lower scores are better, with competitors awarded points matching their finishing position in each race.
Fourth time lucky
The medal was a long time coming for the two-time Olympian. Nethra had competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Asian Games, narrowly missing the podium twice with fourth-place finishes. Her persistence finally paid off in Aichi-Nagoya, where she entered the final day with the medal within reach and delivered when it mattered.
India's sailors have enjoyed their best-ever outing at these Games. Before Friday, Manu Francis and Prince Noble had won silver in the men's skiff event, while Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma claimed bronze in the women's skiff after China, which had originally finished third, was disqualified.
Sources:
The Economic Times: Asian Games: Nethra Kumanan wins bronze in women's dinghy to secure India's third sailing medal
The Times of India: Asian Games: Nethra Kumanan ends long wait for maiden sailing medal with bronze
