Paris: Right after becoming the first-ever woman shooter to win an Olympic medal on Sunday, Manu Bhaker refused to gloat over the success. She kept stressing that the women’s 10m air pistol bronze is just the first part of the plan and her mission is to leave the Chateauroux Shooting Range with multiple medals around her neck.
The 22-year-old, shooting with unseen focus and ambition, now stands on the verge of accomplishing that after qualifying for the 10m air pistol mixed team bronze medal bout with Sarabjot Singh.
The duo will lock horns against Ye Jin Oh and Wonho Lee and if they can stun the formidable South Koreans on Tuesday, then Bhaker will end up becoming the first ever Indian to win two medals at the same Olympics.
Bhaker, obviously buoyed by the bronze medal, was brilliant yet again in Monday’s qualification rounds, leading the way for India. She had eight 10s and two 9s in her opening series of 10 shots, replicating the same in her second series before faltering a bit in the final series, sharing five 10s and 9s.
Bhaker was supported superbly by Sarabjot. The 22-year-old didn’t start well, scoring five 9s and 10s each but picked up the tempo in the second series by nailing seven successive 10s. A 9 and 8 were his other scores. He was hot in the final series too, scoring seven 10s and three 9s to ensure he keeps Bhaker’s dream of a second medal alive.
Late slip
There could have been more cheer from the ranges for India but it was a case of so near yet so far for Arjun Babuta as he let slip of a medal that was in hands for a long time while Ramita Jindal ended up seventh in the women’s 10m air rifle final.
In another high quality final in this sleepy town around 280 kilometres from Paris, Babuta started off brilliantly, almost going head to head with eventual gold medal winner Lihao Sheng at one stage in the men’s 10m air rifle final. Although Babuta isn’t one of the star names in the current squad, the 25-year-old showed what a talent he is when he smashed the world record score in the same discipline during the national trials in Bhopal.
That confidence was evident right from the start as Babuta opened with a superb 10.7. He posted 52.4 and then following another good series of five shots, he stood third with a total of 105. Babuta then rose to silver medal position with 10.2 and 10.7 in the 15th and 16th series, literally closing the gap with Sheng.
At that stage it looked like Babuta would lock down a medal as not only was he in great rhythm but his rivals below him were faltering as well. It seemed like Babuta may even usurp Bhaker and claim a silver medal when he shot 10.5, 10.1 and 10.5 in his 17th, 18th and 19th attempts to stay third.
Croatian Miran Maricic, who was nowhere near the medal picture, then suddenly rose up the ranks and seeing him close in on the rear view mirror, Babuta started to feel the jitters. The pressure of becoming a medallist also possibly played in his mind. He handled it well when he shot 10.5 but then he allowed the pressure get the better of him as he misfired for the first time, shooting 9.9.
That one poor shot saw him slip to fourth for the first time. Sadly, there was no time for any recovery and he trudged back with a sullen heart back to the chair. Babuta walked back slowly, completely shell-shocked at a great missed opportunity. This slip-up will sting him for a long time.