At the Paris Olympics 2024 – Manu Bhaker wins a historic medal, marking India’s first victory of the games

At the Paris Olympics 2024 – Manu Bhaker wins a historic medal, marking India’s first victory of the games.

Manu Bhaker became the face of Indian shooting’s Tokyo Olympics debacle. That picture of her tearing up, the left palm behind her neck and frustration visible underneath the mask, after failing to qualify for the 10m air pistol final of the pandemic Games remained long-lasting. Picture imperfect. But three years on at the Paris Olympics, there’s another defining image of Manu, which wipes away the memories of 2021.

Her eyes moist with joy, a grin from cheek-to-cheek and a glitzy medal wrapped around her neck as she stood on the podium after the 10m air pistol final on Sunday. Manu walked up to take the Tricolour from a group of fans in the stands, unfurled it next to a couple of Koreans, took a bite of the medal and clicked a selfie with the winners.
Now, it’s picture perfect.Of the bronze medallist in the women’s 10m air pistol event of this Olympics. Of the first Indian medal winner at these Games on the second day of competitions. Of the first ever woman shooter from the country to medal at sport’s most prestigious stage.
“I had dreamt about this, but being here standing with the medal around my neck, it feels surreal,” Manu told reporters in Chateauroux, about 300km from Paris where shooters are experiencing a Games of their own.

From the first shot of the final till the last on Sunday, Manu remained within the top three, signing off with the bronze and a score of 221.7. She was on the cusp of silver when Kim Yeji shot a spectacular 10.5 to jump ahead by 0.1 point and limit Manu to bronze. Koreans Yeji (241.3) and Oh Ye Jin (243.2, an Olympic record) took silver and gold respectively.

The sight of an Indian shooter on the Olympic podium is rare, the kind not seen entirely in Tokyo three years ago and at Rio in 2016. Manu’s is the first Indian medal in shooting since the 2012 London Games, where Vijay Kumar (silver) and Gagan Narang (bronze) brought home a couple. The 22-year-old from Haryana is the fifth shooter from the country to medal at the Games, and the first woman.

“I’m so grateful that I could break the chain and get this medal,” Manu said.

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