Manu Bhaker, a 22-year-old shooter, won a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to secure a medal at this year’s Games. Bhaker also became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal.
Bhaker displayed exceptional skill and composure throughout the competition, maintaining the top three positions for most of the event. She was 0.1 points ahead of second place going into the final shootout, but eventually dropped to third place to secure the bronze medal.
The win opens India’s medal tally at the Paris Olympics, with the nation aiming to surpass its previous record of seven medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Bhaker’s run to the final was marked by a strong performance in the qualifiers. She finished third with a score of 580, recovering from an otherwise difficult day for Indian shooting on Saturday 27 July. Hungarian shooter Veronika Major topped the qualifier with a score of 582, while Rhythm Sangwan, India’s second representative, finished 15th with a score of 573.
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Bhaker started the first series with 97 points and placed in the fourth position. She maintained her form with another 97 in the second series, although Sangwan dropped to 26th after a poor round. Bhaker moved up to second place after an excellent 98 in the third series. The eight in the fifth series was her only significant misstep, but she still managed to secure a place in the finals.
Other Indian performances
In addition to Bhaker’s success, India’s Ramita Jindal also qualified for the finals at the Paris Olympics. Jindal secured fifth place in the women’s 10m air rifle qualification with a score of 631.5. However, Elavenil Valarivan, another Indian contestant, missed the final and finished 10th with a score of 630.7. Jindal, a bronze medalist at the Hangzhou Asian Games, became the second Indian shooter to secure a final berth at the Games after Bhaker’s qualification.
