Manu Bhaker in action during Paris Olympics 2024© AFP
Manu Bhaker missed out on a historic third medal after the Indian shooter finished fourth in the Women's 25m Pistol event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Saturday. Manu, who already had two bronze medals to her name, came agonisingly close to assuring a medal for herself but was beaten by Hungary's Veronika Major in a 3rd/4th place elimination shoot-off. Both Manu and Major were tied at 28 after Series 8 and as a result, both shooters competed in a shoot-off to decide who gets eliminated. While Manu had 3 shots on target, Major ended up hitting the target four times to move forward as Manu's journey in the final ended.
"I was very nervous in the final. I was trying on every shot but things were not working out. However, there is always a next time and I will try my best the next time round," Manu said after the event.
In the qualification on Friday, Bhaker shot a total of 590 (294 in precision, 296 in rapid) out of a possible 600 to reach her third final of this Olympics at second place.
Earlier, Bhaker had won bronze in the individual 10m air pistol competition and then combined with Sarabjot Singh to claim another third-place finish in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Bhaker's second bronze had made her the first Indian after Independence to win two medals at the same Olympic Games.
Apart from Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, Swapnil Kusale won the bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3P event. Kusale also became the first Indian shooter to win a medal in the men's 50m rifle 3P event.
Kusale clinched the bronze medal for India in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men's Final after finishing in third place with an aggregate of 451.4. He secured India's 3rd medal in shooting overall.
(With agency inputs)