Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker scripted history, after shooting an Olympic bronze medal in Paris on July 28. The 22-year-old from Haryana became the first Indian female shooter to win a medal at the Games after she clinched the third position in the women’s 10m air pistol final. Three years after a series of heartbreaks in Tokyo, one of India’s most celebrated and talented shooters fulfilled her dreams, bringing glory to the nation.
Manu Bhaker opened India’s account in Paris Olympics as the country ended a 12-year wait for a medal in shooting at the Games. Manu became only the fifth shooter after Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang to win an Olympic medal in shooting. Manu Bhaker began the final on Sunday with a lot of confidence. When her name was called out at the shooting range, Manu managed to offer a smile to the TV cameras, much to the delight of the Indian crowd.
Manu Bhaker’s consistency shone through as she never slipped out of the top three throughout the eight-woman final. Korea’s Oh Ye Jin won Gold with a total of 243.2, a new Olympic record. It was a 1-2 for Korea as Kim Yeji won Silver with a total score of 241.3. Manu Bhaker and Kim Yeji were shooting for the second spot in the final elimination round. Manu showcased incredible grit as she shot 10.1 and 10.3 in her last two shots. Despite Kim shooting just 9.7 and 9.8, she managed to finish ahead of Manu.
