Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar has become the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the individual vault finals in her first Olympics.
She managed to perform her much-appreciated 'Produnova' vault cleanly to secure 14.850 points after two attempts and qualify for finals.
She had ended sixth after the third of five sub-divisions.
She dropped to 8th eventually when Canadian Shallon Olsen's terrific effort of 14.950 rejigged the overall standings.
But that was just about enough to secure her a place in the finals scheduled for August 14 as the top-eight made the cut for the medal round.
Her qualification for the medal round in the event is being hailed as a historic achievement and congratulatory messages are pouring in for the gymnast who comes from India’s north-eastern region.
The Produnova – a handspring double-front somersault – was termed as “the vault of death”, has the highest degree of difficulty for a women’s vault, a 7.0, and only five women in the world have attempted it in the competition.
The difficult vault has already led to a horrific injury of French gymnast Samir Ait Said after he broke his leg on the vault in men’s qualifying event on Saturday.
However, Dipa was unfazed by its perceived complexity.
"I believe that practice makes perfect, and then it is not difficult anymore. My coach, (Bisweshwar Nandi) ensured that I practised extensively. In the last three months, I did 1000 repetitions of the move," she said before her event.
“Now it is the easiest vault for me.’’
“Not many in the country knew about this until recently, and now I hope that this vault becomes more famous than me in India,” she said.
