India at Paris Olympics: Shooter Manu Bhaker enters 10m air pistol final
The other Indian in the fray, Rhythm Sangwan finished 15th and failed to progress. She had a score of 573
Manu Bhaker on Saturday (July 27) became the first Indian shooter at Paris Olympics 2024 to enter the finals of an event.
In the women's 10 metres Air Pistol qualification in Chateauroux, France, 22-year-old Bhaker finished third with a score of 580 after six series to enter the final, which will take place on Sunday.
The other Indian in the fray, Rhythm Sangwan finished 15th and failed to qualify for the final. She had a score of 573.
Top eight shooters qualified for the final with Hungary's Veronika Major taking the number one position with a score of 582.
Disappointment in Tokyo
Reduced to tears following her forgettable outing in her Games debut in Tokyo three years ago, Bhaker is seeking to add an Olympic medal to her very excellent resume.
A prominent shooter, who has gained international recognition for his exploits in the sport form a very young age, Bhaker looked determined to keep the Tokyo memories behind and produced a fine qualification performance.
The Haryana shooter made a bright start with a total of 97 points to take the fourth spot at the end of Series 1.
Bhaker got a 97 in the second series too and remained in fourth as Sangwan slipped to 26th after a poor outing including an 8. But Bhaker was back in the top two after an excellent 98 in her third series.
Bhaker 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.
Eight shooters who qualified for the women's 10 M Air Pistol event
Veronika Major (Hungary): 582
Oh Ye Jin (Korea): 582
Manu Bhaker (India): 580
Thu Vinh Trinh (Vietnam): 578
Kim Yeji (Korea): 578
Li Xue (China): 577
Sevval Tarhan (Turkiye): 577
Jiang Ranxin (China): 577
(With agency inputs)
