Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale made the nation proud by clinching the bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. With this achievement, Kusale has become the third Indian shooter to win a medal at these Games, following in the footsteps of Manu Bhaker who won two bronze medals in the women’s 10m air pistol and mixed team events.
Kusale, the 28-year-old from Maharashtra, scored a total of 451.4 points to finish third on the podium. China’s Yukun Liu won the gold medal with a score of 463.6, while Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish bagged the silver with 461.3 points.
Kusale’s Journey to the Bronze Medal
Swapnil Kusale had earlier qualified for the 50m rifle 3 positions final after scoring an impressive 590-38x in the qualification round. In the final, the event is contested across three positions: kneeling, prone, and standing, with three series of five shots each in kneeling and prone.
In the kneeling position, Kusale started off with a 9.6 and finished the series with a total of 50.8. He followed it up with another similar series, totaling 50.9. However, he managed to claw back the gap a bit in the third series, scoring 51.6. At the end of the kneeling position, Kusale was in sixth place with a total score of 153.3.
Kusale’s Comeback in the Prone Position
Determined to make a comeback, Kusale performed better in the prone position. He started off with a series of 52.7, followed by 52.2 and 51.9. His total score of 310.1 kept him in fifth position, setting the stage for a thrilling finale in the standing position.
As the shooters took their standing position after a nine-minute break, two more series of five shots each were to follow. After the 40th shot, or the tenth shot of the standing series, two shooters were eliminated, and thereafter, one shooter exited after every shot.
Norway’s 25-year-old John Hermann was in the lead with 312.1 points, followed by China’s Yukun Liu at 311.5 and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish at 311.1. India’s Swapnil Kusale was in fifth position with 310.1 points.
In a nail-biting finale, Kusale showcased his skill and determination, climbing up the leaderboard to secure the bronze medal with a total score of 451.4. His impressive performance in the standing position, where he scored 141.3 points, propelled him to the podium, etching his name in the history books as the third Indian shooter to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
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