Pranati Nayak Wins Bronze at FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Turkey

Pranati Nayak Shines at World Cup

Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak achieved a remarkable feat by securing a bronze medal in the vault final at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup held in Antalya, Turkey.

The 29-year-old athlete, who previously represented India at the Tokyo Olympics, scored a total of 13.417 in the final, placing her third behind American gymnasts Jayla Hang (13.667) and Claire Pease (13.567).

Expressing her joy, Nayak stated, “It feels fantastic to kick off the year with a medal. This victory boosts my confidence. I also won last year, so I’m truly delighted.” She further mentioned, “I am now focused on earning medals at the upcoming Asian and World Championships.”

Before this, Pranati had also clinched a bronze in the vault event at the FIG Apparatus World Cup in Cairo prior to the Paris Olympics last year.

Her accolades include vault bronze medals from the Asian Championships in 2019 (Ulaanbaatar) and 2022 (Doha).

Despite facing numerous injuries and the disappointment of missing out on the Paris Olympics, Nayak has regained her confidence with the support of her coach, Ashok Kumar Mishra.

Mishra expressed his pride, saying, “She has been with me for four years, and I am thrilled she secured a bronze medal this year after finishing third last year as well.”

He added, “Her journey hasn’t been easy; she has dealt with injuries, including an elbow problem. There was a moment when she thought about retiring, but I encouraged her, reminding her of her potential. She performed excellently in the finals. Our next target is to reach the finals of the World Championships.”

Pranati is now the third Indian gymnast to earn an international medal in the vault, following in the footsteps of Dipa Karmakar (2018 Mersin Gold, 2018 Cottbus bronze) and Aruna Reddy (2018 World Cup in Melbourne). She has also competed in the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018, as well as the Asian Games in 2014 and 2018, and represented India in the World Championships in 2014, 2017, and 2019.