Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in any sport?

Introduction / Context:
India's achievements in the Olympic Games include several historic firsts, and the first Olympic medal won by an Indian woman is a landmark moment. This question asks you to identify the trailblazing athlete who became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, reflecting both sports history and progress in women's participation at the highest level.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the first Olympic medal won by an Indian woman.
• It does not specify the colour of the medal, only that it was an Olympic medal.
• Options include Karnam Malleswari, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza, Dipa Karmakar, and Mary Kom.
• We assume Summer Olympics results and official International Olympic Committee recognition.

Concept / Approach:
Karnam Malleswari, a weightlifter, became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal in the women's 69 kg weightlifting category at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. While Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, and others later added to India's Olympic medal tally, Karnam Malleswari's achievement came first chronologically and is recognised as the historic breakthrough for Indian women at the Games.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the first Olympic medal by an Indian woman came at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.Step 2: Remember that Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in weightlifting at those Games.Step 3: Note that Saina Nehwal won her badminton bronze later, at the London 2012 Olympics.Step 4: Confirm that Sania Mirza has had success in tennis but no Olympic medal.Step 5: Select Karnam Malleswari as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a check, think of the timeline of Indian women's Olympic medals: Karnam Malleswari in 2000, followed by athletes such as Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom in later Games. News stories and biographies often highlight Karnam Malleswari as the pioneer who showed that Indian women could reach the Olympic podium. This repeated acknowledgement confirms that she was the first.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Saina Nehwal did win an Olympic bronze in badminton, but this happened in 2012, well after Sydney 2000. Sania Mirza has had a successful tennis career but has not won an Olympic medal. Dipa Karmakar came close to a medal in gymnastics at Rio 2016 but finished fourth. Mary Kom won a bronze in boxing at London 2012, again later than Malleswari. Therefore, all of these women are important athletes but not the first Indian woman Olympic medal winner.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom are very famous and more recent in public memory, candidates sometimes select them without considering the year 2000. Another pitfall is to confuse “first woman to qualify for Olympics” in a sport with “first woman to win an Olympic medal.” Focusing on the exact phrase “first Indian woman Olympic medal winner” and recalling the Sydney 2000 Games avoids this confusion.

Final Answer:
The first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal was weightlifter Karnam Malleswari at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.