Indonesia's Olympic team has once again captured two gold medals after a 32-year hiatus, with both wins achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, this time, badminton, the sport that has traditionally been Indonesia's stronghold, did not contribute to the gold tally.

The first gold came from Rizki Juniansyah in the men's 73-kilogram weightlifting category. Competing at the South Paris Arena on Friday, August 9, 2024, Rizki lifted a total of 354 kilograms, securing the top spot in the event.

Rizki's victory follows Indonesia's earlier triumph in sport climbing, where Veddriq Leonardo won the gold in the men's speed climbing category with a remarkable time of 4.75 seconds.

With these wins, Indonesia has now earned a total of three medals at the Paris Olympics: two golds and one bronze. The bronze medal was awarded to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the women's singles badminton event.

These two gold medals mark a significant achievement for Indonesia, reminiscent of the country's success at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where the badminton players Alan Budikusuma and Susy Susanti made history by winning gold in both the men's and women's singles events.

Throughout its participation in the Olympics, Indonesia has amassed a total of 10 gold medals, with eight of them coming from badminton. In six other Olympics, Indonesia managed to clinch a single gold each time, including memorable victories by Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja (1996), Tony Gunawan/Candra Wijaya (2000), Taufik Hidayat (2004), Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan (2004), Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (2016), and Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu (2020).

However, the 2012 London Olympics marked a rare occasion when Indonesia failed to secure a gold medal, coming home with two silvers and one bronze, and no medals in badminton.

The lack of gold in badminton this year is not entirely unexpected, according to badminton analyst Daryadi.

"Even before the Olympics started, I had analyzed and noted that the chances of Indonesia winning gold in Paris were slimmer compared to previous Olympics," Daryadi said in a phone interview with detikSport on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. "Given the current lineup, none of our players were ranked at the top. With this in mind, is it fair to burden them with the expectation of winning gold?"

Legendary badminton figure Imelda Wiguna echoed Daryadi's sentiments, particularly regarding the women’s doubles event.

"Leading up to the Olympics, the public and PBSI, everyone, seemed to expect Apriyani Rahayu to win because she had just won the Olympic gold," said Imelda, who now serves as the Daily Chairman of PB Jaya Raya. "But such expectations can become a heavy burden."

In Paris, Indonesia still has the opportunity to add to its medal count. Nurul Akmal, a female weightlifter, will compete in the +83-kilogram category. The nation holds its breath in hope of further victories.