Shooters earned India three bronze medals in Paris Olympics 2024© AFP
It all started with Manu Bhaker clinching a bronze in the women's individual 10m air pistol final in the Paris Olympics Games 2024. The young pistol shooter opened India's account on the medals tally, before combining with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed team 10m air pistol event to bag another bronze. On Day 6 of the Paris Games, Swapnil Singh took the tally to three medals, bagging the country's first medal ever in the men's 50m Rifle 3-Positions final, a bronze. In the process, the shooters earned India a big first in the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games.
Kusale shot an aggregate of 451.4 in the eight-shooter final of men's 50m Rifle 3P event, to finish third after being placed sixth at one stage of the event.
The last time a 50m rifle shooter made it to the Olympic finals was in 2012 London when Joydeep Karmakar finished fourth in 50m rifle prone event. The event is no longer a part of the Olympic Games.
It is the first time ever in India's history of competing in the Olympic Games, which started in 1900, that a single sport has given the country three medals in a single edition. There have been occasions where India has won two medals in the same sport in a single edition of the Olympic Games, but never before has a sport given the nation three medals.
Even in shooting, which has been one of the most rewarding sports for India in the Olympic Games of the past, the best any Indian contingent has achieved is two medals - Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar winning a bronze and a silver, respectively, at the London Games in 2012.
In the 2020 Tokyo Games, India won two medals in boxing -- Bajrang Punia's bronze in 65kg freestyle wrestling and Ravi Kumar Dahiya's silver in 57kg freestyle wrestling.
Before this, Norman Pritchard had fetched two silver medals for India, under British rule, at the 1900 Games in athletics -- men's 200m and men's 200m hurdles.
India still has more events to go in the Olympics shooting. There remain expectations of more medals in the sport, especially with Manu Bhaker who will next be competing in the women's 25m air pistol event.