Paris Olympics: Manu Bhaker Narrowly Misses Hat-Trick, Secures 4th In 25m Pistol Final

India’s Manu Bhaker narrowly missed securing her third Olympic medal at the Paris Games, finishing fourth in the women’s 25m pistol final. The 22-year-old fell short of the bronze medal in a closely contested shoot-off against Hungary’s Veronika Major.

Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian to win two shooting medals in a single Olympic campaign. She claimed the bronze in the 10m air pistol event and teamed up with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol. She further distinguished herself by reaching the final of the 25m pistol event after finishing second in the qualification stage.

In the fiercely competitive final, Bhaker started strong, staying within medal contention. The final saw young shooters battling intensely, with each shooter having three series of five shots in Stage 1, earning points only for shots exceeding 10.2.

Also read: China Holds Tops Medal Tally At Paris Olympics; France Rises To Second Place

SLOW START, STRONG COMEBACK, HEARTBREAK

Manu began with 2 points in the opening series, then scored four points in each of the next two series, propelling her into the top 3 before the elimination round. She continued her momentum, scoring 3 points followed by a perfect series, which lifted her into the top 3 and raised India’s hopes for another historic medal. Despite scoring 4 points in both the sixth and seventh series, Bhaker found herself tied for third place with Hungary’s Veronika Major, who had equaled the Olympic qualifying record.

Admitting to feeling nervous, Bhaker managed only 2 points in the shoot-off for the bronze medal, while Major secured 4 points to claim third place. Despite her disappointment, Bhaker remained optimistic about her future.

Returning from Paris with two medals, Bhaker joins the elite club of Indian athletes with multiple Olympic medals, alongside PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar. Her 10m air pistol bronze inspired the Indian contingent, with Swapnil Kusale going on to win India’s first medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event – a bronze.

India’s shooters have had a remarkable performance at these Games, securing three medals, a significant improvement after drawing blanks in 2020 and 2016.