Swapnil Kusale Wins Bronze Medal in 50m Rifle 3P at Paris 2024 Olympics
- ByStartupStory | August 1, 2024
Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale has secured a historic bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This marks India’s first-ever Olympic shooting medal in the 50m 3P category and adds to the country’s impressive tally in rifle shooting, following Abhinav Bindra’s gold in the men’s 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008 and Gagan Narang’s bronze in the same event at London 2012.
Competing at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux, Kusale showcased remarkable resilience and skill. Initially positioned sixth after the first 15 shots in the kneeling position with a score of 153.3, Kusale was trailing the leader, Norwegian shooter Jon-Hermann, by two points.
However, Kusale’s consistent performance in the prone position and the standing position allowed him to climb up to third place by the end of stage 1, ensuring his spot in the top three as the bottom two shooters were eliminated.
During the subsequent eliminations in stage 2, Kusale maintained his composure, shooting scores of 10.5, 9.4, and 9.9, which confirmed his place in the top three and secured a medal for India. A score of 10.0 in his next shot, however, wasn’t sufficient to keep him in contention for the gold.
The gold medal was claimed by Liu Yukun of the People’s Republic of China, the world record holder in the event, with a score of 463.6. Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish won the silver medal with a tally of 461.3, adding to his silver from Rio 2016. Kusale finished with a score of 451.4.
Kusale had qualified for the eight-man final on Wednesday by finishing seventh in the qualifiers with a total score of 590. Fellow Indian shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar narrowly missed the final, finishing eighth.
India’s performance in shooting at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been commendable, with Kusale’s bronze being the third shooting medal for the country. Earlier, Manu Bhaker won a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol individual event and teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
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