Manu Bhaker ended India's wait for a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Sunday, July 28. The young shooter clinched the bronze medal in the women's individual 10m air pistol event, creating history.
Manu Bhaker wins bronze at Paris Olympics
Manu Bhaker's achievement is a big milestone for Indian shooting, as she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in the sport.
A Near Miss Turned to Bronze
Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on a silver medal, finishing just 0.1 points behind Kim Yeji in the final on Sunday. While Kim claimed silver, her Korean teammate Oh Ye Jin took gold. Despite this heartbreaking near-miss, Bhaker's performance was a testament to her resilience. Three years after a malfunction ruined her Tokyo Olympics bid, the 22-year-old has bounced back in spectacular fashion. Her bronze medal is a significant achievement, making her only the fifth Indian to win an Olympic medal in shooting. The nine-time World Cup medalist has once again showcased her world-class talent on the biggest stage.
Manu Bhaker shone in qualification
Manu Bhaker made a strong start to her Olympic campaign by securing a spot in the women's 10m air pistol final. On the first day of competition, she produced a stellar performance in the qualification round, accumulating a score of 580. Her exceptional accuracy was evident as she recorded the highest number of perfect scores (27) among all participants, propelling her into the final round.
Historic Qualification
Bhaker's qualification for the final marked a significant milestone for Indian shooting. She became the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final in an individual shooting event in the last two decades. The previous Indian woman to achieve this feat was Suma Shirur, who competed in the 10m air rifle final at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Furthermore, Bhaker created history by being the first Indian woman to qualify for the 10m air pistol final at any Olympic Games.
Indian Women's Shooting Drought Ends
Prior to Manu Bhaker's bronze medal, India's Olympic shooting history had been exclusively male-dominated. The country's four previous Olympic shooting medals were all won by men. The most recent of these were secured at the London 2012 Games, where Gagan Narang claimed bronze in the men's 10m air rifle and Vijay Kumar earned silver in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol.
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