Manu Bhaker Misses Historic Third Olympic Medal, Finishes Fourth in Women's 25m Pistol Final

Paris : In a dramatic turn of events at the ongoing Paris Olympics, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker missed out on a historic third Olympic medal in the women's 25m pistol final on Saturday. Bhaker finished fourth with 28 points, narrowly losing out to Hungary's Veronika Major in a shoot-off series. Major, the world record holder in the 25m pistol, secured the bronze medal after the shoot-off.

The gold medal was clinched by South Korea's Yang Jin, who scored 37 points, winning the shoot-off 4-1. French shooter Camille Jedrzejewski secured the silver medal, adding to the excitement for the host nation.

Manu Bhaker had shown remarkable performance earlier, tying for third place with Veronika Major. However, in the shoot-off series, she lost two crucial points, which resulted in her finishing just off the podium. Bhaker had entered the final with high hopes after finishing second in the women's 25m pistol shooting qualification on Friday.

Bhaker's journey in Paris has been notable, as she became the only Indian shooter to reach more than one final in a single Olympics, equaling the record of Abhinav Bindra, who reached three Olympic shooting finals over three Games. Bhaker, a two-time bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the women's 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol events, scored a total of 590 points in the qualification rounds, with 294 in the precision round and 296 in the rapid round.

At just 22 years old, Bhaker has already achieved significant milestones. Her performance in Paris is a stark contrast to her experience in Tokyo three years ago, where she failed to reach the finals in all three of her events. Bhaker's resurgence and success in Paris have established her as a leading figure in Indian shooting.

Manu Bhaker's efforts and achievements at the Paris Olympics have brought pride and inspiration to many in India, marking a significant chapter in her already illustrious career.