Manu Bhaker after winning Paris 2024 bronze: ‘Just do what you’re meant to do’

The lasting image of Manu Bhaker’s first-ever Olympics was her and Indian pistol team coach Ronak Pandit looking at her gun that malfunctioned. The lasting image of her Paris Olympics will be ending that 12-year medal drought that Indian shooting was going through. Bhaker became the first woman in Indian history to win a pistol medal at the Olympics. Bhaker really was meant to do it.

All of 22 and two Olympics old, opened India’s medal tally at the 2024 Paris Games with a bronze medal, shooting 221.7 in the final and missing out on silver by 0.1 points. Her form before the Olympics was the best in India, she was the best at the Olympic trials, moving ahead of Esha Singh, Palak Gulia and Rhythm Sangwan to be the only Indian selected to be a part of both the 10m and 25m pistol event.

India’s Manu Bhaker celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol women’s final round at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (AP)

Manu shot a 10.3 for her last shot, but Kim Yejo clutched up and hit a 10.5 herself. The Indian gave a wry smile away and walked back to her bench, secure in knowing that the bronze medal was hers. “The feeling is really surreal. In that last shot, I was fighting with all the energy I had. She then said, “You can’t control the destiny of your outcome. Only that was running in my head.”

Her pistol final event was encompassed in a consistent start, especially in those first ten shots where she hit a 10.6, 10.5 and two 10.3s. Everytime she hit a good shot, she immediately reached out for a sip of water from her bottle. But it was her first five shots in the second stage that really lightened up the idea that a medal was finally coming into India’s kitty. A 10.5 and a 10.4 – hitting those in the Olympic finals always gives hope that a pistol shooter is right up there. Post those two shots, Bhaker kept shooting in the high nines and the low 10s. The 9.4 prior to her final shot was unfortunately the difference between a possible silver.

This shooting medal also immensely brings down the pressure on a young shooting contingent of 21 that has had to contend with doubts whether they can perform when it matters. One medal, and two Indian shooters in the final of the 10m Air Rifle event shows that the Indian contingent is clearly ready and has moved on from Rio and Tokyo.

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