Fourth in the 2023 World Championship after a horror last series of 47.5, 4th in the Asian Games after leading till an 8.7 shot ruined a medal chance.
Fourth, no more. Swapnil Kusale remained steady in the Paris Olympics 50m 3P Men’s Final on Thursday to win India its first-ever medal in the event – a bronze – to ensure rifle shooters joined pistol’s party at the Chateauroux Shooting Range.
Prone event kept him in the mix
Fifteen shots while lying down is the easiest position to shoot from in 50M 3P. Kusale scored 52.7, 52.2 and 51.9 in the three five-shot series. It didn’t take him into the medal bracket but pulled him away from the shooters staring at early elimination.
Standing shots seal the deal
Ten standing shots were the difference between a medal and nothing. In fact, Kusale was one of the best shooters in those 10 shots hitting a series of 51.1 and 50.4 – the joint-highest in the eight-man final along with silver medallist Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish.
Olympics 2024- Coach Jaspal Rana details how life-work balance helped Manu Bhaker win two Olympic medals
- Explained: How small is the target that elevates Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh’s Olympic achievements in shooting?
- Paris Olympics: How Sarabjot Singh recovered from near final miss to climb the mixed team podium with Manu Bhaker
Four shots for bronze
Kusale’s first shot after the 10 standing-shot series turned out to be a clutch 10.5 – one that not just closed the door on his elimination from the competition but renewed hope that a silver or even a gold was a possibility. But the next three shots were 9.4, 9.9 and 10.0 – not good enough to catapult him to the lead.
Staying behind the pack vs leading
One of the key things that helped in Kusale’s medal run was that he was not leading the scores. For once, he was chasing instead of being chased, and that might have been the difference between yet another fourth position and a bronze medal.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
