Swapnil Kusale secures bronze in men’s 50m rifle 3P at Paris 2024 Olympics

Swapnil Kusale has made history for Indian shooting by winning the bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This victory marks India’s first-ever Olympic medal in this discipline and adds to the country’s tally of shooting medals, following Abhinav Bindra’s gold in the men’s 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008 and Gagan Narang’s bronze in the same event at London 2012.

A Historic Achievement for Indian Shooting

Kusale’s performance at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux on Thursday was a remarkable turnaround. After starting in sixth place following the first 15 shots in the kneeling position, Kusale made significant progress. His consistent shooting across prone and standing positions allowed him to climb to third place by the end of the first stage. The competition’s format, which saw shooters eliminated after each shot in the second stage, required Kusale to maintain precision under pressure.

In the final stage, despite a strong showing, Kusale’s score of 10.0 in one of his last shots wasn’t enough to secure the gold. Liu Yukun from the People’s Republic of China, the world record holder, clinched the gold medal with a score of 463.6. Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish, who had previously won a silver medal at Rio 2016, added another silver to his collection with a score of 461.3. Kusale ended with a total score of 451.4.

Path to the Final

Kusale had qualified for the final by finishing seventh in the qualifiers with a score of 590. His fellow Indian shooter, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, fell short of making the final, finishing in 11th place.

India’s Shooting Success at Paris 2024

This bronze medal adds to India’s impressive performance in shooting at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where all three medals won so far have been in shooting events. Earlier in the games, Manu Bhaker secured a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol individual event and later won another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh.

The Indian shooting team at Paris 2024 is the largest in the country’s Olympic history, with 21 shooters participating. This team surpasses the previous record of 15 shooters from Tokyo 2020 and will compete in all 15 shooting events scheduled at the Games.

Kusale’s achievement represents a significant milestone for Indian shooting. His success in a highly competitive field underscores the growing strength of Indian shooters on the global stage. The performance of the entire Indian shooting contingent at Paris 2024 reflects a well-prepared and strong team ready to compete across all events.