Swapnil Kusale wins India's 3rd medal at Paris Olympics

India on Thursday (August 1) won its third medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 as shooter Swapnil Kusale won the bronze medal in the 50 metre rifle 3 positions men's final in Chatearoux, France.

So far, all three medals for India have come from shooting and all of them are bronze.

The 28-year-old Kusale 's medal comes following the stunning performance of Manu Bhaker, who clinched the women's 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol bronze alongside Sarabjot Singh.

Kusale is the first Indian to win a medal in the 50 metre rifle 3 positions event at the Olympics.

In the final, he had a total score of 451.4. China's Liu Yukun (463.6) won the gold medal while Serhiy Kulish (461.3) of Ukraine took the silver medal.

In the team event for 50m rifle 3 positions during the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year, Kusale and Aishwary Tomar, along with Akhil Sheoran, had won the gold medal.

Kusale, who trains under Tejaswini Sawant in Kolhapur, had finished fourth in the Asian Games last year in 50m rifle 3 positions.

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, a discipline which has been discontinued at the Olympics.

Kusale, who was a railway ticket collector and draws inspiration from cricket icon MS Dhoni.