Paris 2024: Manu Bhaker Becomes 1st Indian Woman to Win Shooting Medal at Olympics

In a historic achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Manu Bhaker secured a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday. With this win, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal, marking a significant milestone for India in the realm of competitive shooting.

This achievement is India’s fifth Olympic medal in shooting and the first in any sport at the Paris 2024 Olympics. India had previously won shooting medals in three consecutive Olympics from Athens 2004 to London 2012 but had been unable to secure any in the subsequent two editions.

 

Manu Bhaker, a 22-year-old prodigy, scored 221.7 to finish third in the eight-woman final. The gold medal was clinched by Oh Ye Jin of the Republic of Korea, who set a new Olympic record with a score of 243.2. Yeji Kim, also from South Korea, won the silver medal with a final score of 241.3, narrowly edging out Bhaker for a place in the gold medal round.

Bhaker began the final with a strong start, scoring 50.4 in the first series, positioning her in second place. However, two 9.6s in the second series saw her slip to third behind Oh Ye Jin and Yeji Kim. Despite this setback, Bhaker fought back to reclaim the second position at the end of the third series and once again in the closing stages of the final. Unfortunately, she was edged out by Kim by just 0.1 points for a spot in the gold medal round.

Reflecting on her performance, Bhaker said, “I just put all my effort into staying in the moment until the last second, just not giving up and keep trying harder and harder. You have to hold yourself together, because that’s what all the hard work is for. Although the competition was neck-and-neck and I lost silver by .1, I’m still very grateful to win bronze for my country.”

 

This bronze medal win comes after a disappointing turn of events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where a pistol malfunction cost Bhaker six precious minutes, resulting in her missing the final by just two points.

Historically, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won India’s first Olympic medal in shooting with a silver in the men’s double trap at Athens 2004. Abhinav Bindra won India’s only gold medal in shooting in the men’s 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008. Gagan Narang (men’s 10m air rifle) and Vijay Kumar (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol) won silver and bronze, respectively, at the London 2012 Games.

Bhaker’s journey in Paris is not over yet. She is set to compete in the 10m air pistol mixed team event today and the women’s 25m pistol event on Friday. Remarkably, Bhaker is the only athlete from the 21-member Indian shooting team participating in multiple individual events.

Manu Bhaker’s bronze medal at Paris 2024 is a testament to her resilience and dedication. Her achievement not only marks a personal victory but also serves as an inspiration for aspiring shooters across India.