Sports
Manu Bhaker Shines Again, Advances to 25m Pistol Final
India’s shooting star, Manu Bhaker, has done it again! She secured her spot in the final of the women’s 25m pistol shooting qualification round at the ongoing Summer Games. On Friday, she finished second, showcasing her skills and determination.
With an impressive overall score of 590, Bhaker is on a roll. The top position went to Hungary‘s Veronika Major, who equaled the Olympic qualification record of 592. Major’s score matched the record set by Jingzing Zhang from the People’s Republic of China back at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
At just 22 years old, Bhaker has already claimed two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics in both the women’s 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol events. Her performance included a score of 294 in the precision round and an outstanding 298 in the rapid round.
Esha Singh, another talented shooter from India, finished in 18th place with an overall score of 581. Only the top eight shooters advance to the final, which means Esha will not be competing on Saturday.
The qualification event took place in Chateauroux, starting with the precision round. Bhaker performed admirably, finishing third in that round with her score of 294. She shot remarkably well, hitting scores of 97, 98, and 99 across three series.
However, it was Major and Camille Jedrzejewski from France who held the top two spots, based on the number of inner 10s they scored. Major hit 15 inner 10s, while Jedrzejewski achieved 13. Bhaker had seven inner 10s.
In the rapid round, Bhaker started strong with a perfect score of 100 in the first series. She continued to perform well with scores of 98 in the next two series, ultimately finishing with her overall score of 590. Major’s rapid round results were even more stellar, featuring two 100s and a 98.
After the precision round, Esha Singh was ranked 10th, but her performance dipped in the rapid round as she shot 290, securing her 18th place overall. It’s a tough day for the young shooter, but she shows promise for the future.
