Indian rower Balraj Panwar finished fifth in Final D of the men’s singles sculls at the Paris 2024 Olympics, wrapping up India’s rowing campaign. Panwar clocked a time of 7:02.37 in Final D, placing him 23rd overall in his Olympic debut. He advanced to Final D after finishing sixth in Semifinal C/D, which determined his ranking between 19th and 24th.
Panwar had a strong start, finishing fourth in his first heat and second in the second repechage round. However, he was eliminated from medal contention after a fifth-place finish in the quarterfinals with a time of 7:05.10.
The 25-year-old Army man, who began rowing just four years ago, did not achieve India’s best Olympic rowing finish. The record remains with Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh, who placed 11th in the men’s lightweight double sculls at Tokyo 2020.
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Panwar was also fourth at the Asian Games last year, narrowly missing a podium finish. He secured his spot at Paris 2024 by winning bronze at the Asian and Oceanian Rowing Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea, in April.
