Sports

Paris Olympics 2024: Manu Bhaker Narrowly Misses Historic Third Olympic Medal

Sentinel Digital Desk

Published:3rd Aug, 2024 at 2:38 PM

PARIS: Manu Bhaker narrowly missed becoming India’s first athlete to win three individual Olympic medals in single edition finishing fourth in women’s 25m pistol final at Chateauroux shooting range on Saturday. The 22-year-old Indian shooter lost in shoot-off to Hungary’s Veronika Major. Korea’s Jiin Yang secured gold after shoot-off with France’s Camille Jedrzejewski who took silver.

Bhaker has already made history at these Games by winning two bronze medals—one in 10m women’s air pistol and another in 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh.

In final Bhaker started in sixth place after hitting only two out of her first five shots. Early leaders Jedrzejewski Rostamiyan and Trinh each scored four hits. Bhaker improved in her second series hitting four targets and moving up to fourth place. Yang led competition with eight hits. Rostamiyan and Trinh followed closely with seven each while Bhaker had accumulated six hits.

Bhaker maintained strong performance scoring four hits in next series. Athletes from second to sixth place tied at 10 points each. Competition was fierce. Yang retained lead with 13 points. In subsequent series, Bhaker hit three targets. This placed her tied for sixth with 13 points as Yang extended lead to 17 points.

Under immense pressure Bhaker hit five out of five shots in crucial series. She tied for third place with Jedrzejewski at 18 points. Yang led with 20 points. Major moved to second place with 19 points. Bhaker continued consistency, hitting four out of five targets in sixth series. Major’s poor performance dropped her to fourth place. Bhaker and Jedrzejewski tied for second place with 22 points each trailing Yang by two points.

In seventh series Bhaker hit four targets, matching Jedrzejewski’s performance. Yang hit three reducing her lead to one point. Standings before final series were Yang at 28 points, Bhaker and Jedrzejewski tied for second with 27 points and Major in fourth with 26 points. Bhaker’s two out of five hits in eighth series led to shoot-off with Major. Both tied at 28 points. In shoot-off Bhaker missed two targets. Major missed only one, resulting in Bhaker finishing in fourth-place.