Manu Bhaker made history by winning the bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday. Her remarkable performance marked a significant milestone, as she became the first Indian woman to achieve this feat in Olympic shooting. Competing against a field of the world’s top shooters, Bhaker displayed exceptional skill and composure, securing her place on the podium with a strong final round. Her achievement not only adds to India’s growing presence in the sport but also serves as an inspiration for aspiring athletes, highlighting her dedication and talent on the world stage.
In total, India’s fifth Olympic medal in shooting was achieved, marking their first medal in any sport at Paris 2024. India achieved success in shooting at three straight Olympics from Athens 2004 to London 2012 but failed to secure any medals in the following two Games.
Manu Bhaker, who is 22 years old, achieved a score of 221.7 to secure the third position in the final event featuring eight women. Oh Ye Jin from South Korea won the gold medal with a new Olympic record of 243.2, while Yeji Kim from the same country took the silver with a final score of 241.3, beating Bhaker in the process.
Manu Bhaker had a strong start in the final, earning 50.4 points in the first series to secure second position. Scoring a couple of 9.6s in the second round caused her to drop to third place, behind Oh Ye Jin and Yeji Kim.
The Indian shooter regained second place from Yeji Kim by the end of the third series and then again in the final stages, but the South Korean shooter surpassed Bhaker by 0.1 point to advance to the gold medal round.
Manu explained that he dedicated himself completely to remaining present until the end, refusing to quit and continuously pushing himself. “You must remain composed because that is the purpose of all your effort.” Even though the competition was extremely close and I narrowly missed out on silver, I am thankful for achieving bronze for my country.
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Manu Bhaker was on the verge of qualifying for the final in the women’s 10m air pistol event. However, a malfunction with her pistol during the competition proved costly. The unexpected technical issue took six minutes to resolve, disrupting her focus and momentum. Despite her best efforts to recover, Bhaker missed out on the final by a mere two points. This setback was a significant learning experience for her, and it fueled her determination to succeed, ultimately leading to her historic bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore achieved India’s inaugural Olympic shooting medal by securing a silver in the men’s double trap event at Athens 2004. Abhinav Bindra achieved India’s sole gold medal in shooting in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s 10m air rifle and men’s 25m rapid fire pistol events at the London 2012 Games.
Manu Bhaker advanced to the final of the women’s 10m air pistol event on Saturday, securing third place in the qualifying round. Therefore, she became the initial Indian female to qualify for an Olympic shooting final in two decades. Veronika Major from Hungary, who finished first in the qualifying round, was the initial contestant to be eliminated in the final.
Manu Bhaker is set to participate in the 10m air pistol mixed team competition on Monday and the women’s 25m pistol event, which is slated to begin on Friday. She is the sole athlete in the 21-person Indian shooting team competing in more than one individual event.
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