Shooter Swapnil Kusale wins historic Olympic bronze

Olympic bronze: Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale secured the nation's first-ever Olympic bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris Games on Thursday, elevating India's medal tally to three in the ongoing competition.

Kusale delivered a standout performance with a final score of 451.4 in the eight-shooter final, clinching third place despite being in sixth position at one point. The 28-year-old’s achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian shooting sports.

This medal adds to India’s successes in shooting at these Games, following the bronze wins of Manu Bhaker in the women's 10 metre air pistol and the mixed team 10 metre air pistol with Sarabjot Singh. So far, all of India’s medals in Paris have been awarded in shooting disciplines.

Kusale’s accomplishment is notable as it revives India’s presence in the 50m rifle event, which had not seen a finalist since Joydeep Karmakar’s fourth-place finish in the 50m rifle prone event at the 2012 London Olympics. The 50-metre rifle-prone discipline has since been removed from the Olympic programme.

Kusale, who previously worked as a ticket collector and draws inspiration from cricket star MS Dhoni, has shown remarkable progress in his shooting career, culminating in this historic achievement.

Earlier, in another historic feat, Manu Bhaker secured a bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 28, becoming the first Indian woman to earn an Olympic shooting medal. Additionally, Bhaker, alongside Sarabjot Singh, made history as the first Indian shooting duo to win an Olympic medal together. This achievement marks India’s sixth Olympic medal in shooting.

Also, Manika Batra, seeded 18th in the women’s singles table tennis event, achieved a historic milestone at the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 29 by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to reach the pre-quarterfinals. 

Batra began her campaign with a decisive 4-1 victory over world No 103 Anna Hursey of Great Britain in the round of 64. She continued her impressive performance by defeating France’s Prithika Pavade in the round of 32, securing her place in the quarterfinals.

(with PTI inputs)