File photo of Manu Bhaker
Sport can be brutal at times and there's arguably another sport where the margin of error is a small as in shooting. Three years after the Tokyo heartbreak, she produced a supremely confident performance to redeem herself and enter the women's 10m air pistol final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. In the process, Manu became the first female shooter from India to reach the final of an individual shooting event in the Olympic Games. Manu could go on to become the only Indian shooter to win a gold medal, if she takes the top podium spot in the final on Sunday.
The 22-year-old from Jhajjar shot 580 to finish third in the qualifications in which Hungarian ace Veronika Major claimed the top spot with a score of 582. The other Indian in the field, Rhythm Sangwan, ended 15th with an underwhelming 573.
Bhaker, who was in control for the major part of the one hour 15 minute session, will have to maintain the same composure in the all-important final at the National Shooting Centre here on Sunday.
India has not won an Olympic medal in shooting since 2012 and Bhaker is well placed to end that lean run.
A pistol malfunction in the qualifications at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 had reduced Bhaker to tears but on Saturday, she put up an effort that is expected of an athlete who has won many medals on the international stage.
"One of the very sour memories of my life," Manu said on the Tokyo Games setback. Manu was convinced that she was 'done' in this sport. But bouncing back from setbacks is exactly what champions are made of.
Standing at a distance, Bhaker's personal coach Jaspal Rana could not stop his tears before saying that the job was only half done.
"What happened today doesn't matter anymore. Tomorrow is when it counts. We start afresh," he told PTI before pointing out the heat factor in the range with the air conditioning not being the most effective.
"She needed to take time and drink a lot of water as it was hot," he added.
While it was a moment to remember for Bhaker and Rana, 2016 Olympic champion Anna Korakaki, lined up next to the Indian shooter, struggled with fever before retiring midway into the session.
Bhaker shot as many as 27 inner 10s, the most in the field of 44. She took her time early on in the session and seven 10s and three 9s in the opening series indicated that the Indian was at the top of her game.
Bhaker got a 97 each in the first and second series and remained in fourth as Sangwan slipped to 26th after a poor outing.
The Haryana shooter got an 8 in the fifth series, her first bad shot in an otherwise excellent qualification, but she still remained in the mix and eventually made the final.
Barring Bhaker's brilliant show, it was a forgettable opening day for the Indian shooters who could not reach the final of men's 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle mixed team events.
With PTI Inputs