Manu Bhaker nearly misses out on 3rd medal, stood 4th in 25m women’s pistol event at Paris Olympics 

Manu Bhaker missed out on the 3rd medal at the Paris Olympics. In the women’s 25-meter pistol final, the 22-year-old came in fourth place and missed the bronze medal.

Manu was placed in the top 5 of a very competitive final, but Hungary’s Veronika Major prevailed in the bronze medal shoot-off.

Bhaker had already made history earlier in the competition by becoming the first Indian shooter to win two medals in a single Olympic campaign. She claimed the bronze in the 10m air pistol event and teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to secure another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol. Her stellar performance continued as she qualified for the 25m pistol final, finishing second in the qualification round.

The final saw a challenging start for Bhaker, as she managed only 2 points in her opening series. However, she quickly regrouped, delivering a series of strong shots to climb into the top three. She showcased her talent with a perfect series, putting India in contention for another historic medal. The tension escalated during the shoot-off after tying for third with Major Veronika, who equalled the Olympic qualifying record. Unfortunately, Bhaker scored just 2 points, while Major secured 4, sealing Bhaker’s fate in fourth.

In the aftermath of the competition, Bhaker expressed her disappointment but remained optimistic about future endeavours. With two medals in her pocket, she joins the ranks of renowned Indian athletes such as PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar, who have also claimed two Olympic medals.

Bhaker’s earlier success in the 10m air pistol event boosted her morale and inspired the broader Indian contingent. Swapnil Kusale made history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, adding to India’s medal tally of three, all in shooting.