Shooter Swapnil Kusale wins bronze; India's 3rd medal in Paris Olympics 2024

Kusale delivered an impressive performance in a highly competitive event, finishing in third place with a score of 451.4 points.

This achievement makes him the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event.

It also marks the first time that the Indian shooting team has won three medals in a single edition of the Olympics.

In the Three-Position Rifle (3P) event, shooters compete in kneeling, prone, and standing positions.

Each shooter fires three series of five shots in both the kneeling and prone positions.

After the 40th shot, taken during the second series in the standing position, elimination begins, with the lowest-scoring shooters being eliminated. The elimination process continues with each subsequent shot until the winner is determined.

In the Kneeling position, Kusale had a slow start, scoring 50.8 and 50.9 in the first and second series, respectively. He improved slightly in the third series with a score of 51.6, totaling 153.3 and placing him sixth. He needed a strong performance in the prone position to remain in contention.

Kusale's performance improved in Prone as he scored 52.7, 52.2, and 51.9 in the three series. This brought his total to 310.1 and moved him up to fifth place. The standing position, where significant changes in ranking often occur, was crucial.

After a nine-minute break, shooters prepared for two series of five shots each in Standing position.

Eliminations began after the 40th shot. Norway’s John Hermann led with 312.1, followed by China’s Yukun Liu (311.5), and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish (311.1).

Kusale, initially in fifth with 310.1, moved to fourth with 361.2 after the first five shots. He scored 10.6, 10.3, 9.1, 10.1, and 10.3 in his next shots, which elevated him to third place with a score of 411.6, behind Kulish and Yukun.

China's Y.K. Liu won the gold medal with a score of 463.6 points, while Ukraine's S. Kulish claimed silver with 461.3 points.

Kusale's remarkable performance not only brought pride to India but also showcased his skill in shooting sports, establishing him as a strong contender on the international stage. Kusale had finished seventh in the qualifying round with a total score of 590, including 38 inner 10s (Xs), across the three positions.