Wonder Woman of the Week: Anjali Bhagwat

This week's Wonder Woman is an athlete in one of the original events in the Modern Olympiad. Anjali Bhagwat is one of the most famous Indian Olympians- known for her skill as a riflist at the international level. Bhagwat was born in India in 1969 and rapidly rose to prominence as an athlete in judo, karate, and mountaineering before switching to shooting sports at twenty-one years old. Within a week, Bhagwat won her first national finals medal for riflery- finishing in second place in India's nationals. The new natural shootist then spent the next five years perfecting her skill as she steamrolled through national and international competitions as one of the best athletes in the world in her event.

In Anjali Bhagwat's first Olympics in 2000, the athlete reached the finals. Bhagwat appeared again in the 2004 Olympics after years of competitions in world championships. After retiring in 2007, Bhagwat earned thirty-one international gold medals, twenty-three silver medals, and seven bronze medals. She set thirteen international records for riflery, and- after retiring from competition- worked to help more women and girls across India become more involved in sports.