Paris Olympics: Swapnil Kusale shoots bronze, India’s 3rd medal at the Games

Shooter Swapnil Kusale secured India’s third medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics after finishing third in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux on Thursday.

Kusale delivered an exceptional performance amidst intense competition, earning third place with a score of 451.4 points in the final. Swapnil has now become the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. This is also the first time that the Indian shooting contingent have won three medals in a single edition of any Olympics.

The 3P event, or Three-Position Rifle shooting, involves shooters competing in kneeling, prone, and standing positions. In the event, shooters fire three series of five shots each in the kneeling and prone positions. After the 40th shot, which occurs during the second series in the standing position, elimination begins, with the two lowest-scoring shooters being eliminated. From that point on, each subsequent shot serves as an elimination shot until the winner is determined.

Kneeling: Kusale had a slow start, scoring 50.8 in the first series and 50.9 in the second. However, he improved slightly with a 51.6 in the third series, totaling 153.3, and placing sixth. He needed a strong performance in the prone position to stay in contention.

Prone: Kusale’s performance improved, scoring 52.7, 52.2, and 51.9 in the three series, bringing his total to 310.1 and moving him to fifth place. Only the standing position remained, where significant shifts often occur.

Standing: After a nine-minute break, shooters prepared for two series of five shots each, with eliminations starting 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 was fifth with 310.1 but moved to fourth with 361.2 after the first five shots. He scored 10.6 and 10.3, followed by 9.1, 10.1, and 10.3, moving to third with 411.6 behind Kulish and Yukun.

Eliminations: Sixth Place: Kusale scored 10.5, holding third with 422.1 as France’s Lucas exited.
Fifth Place: Despite a 9.4, Kusale retained his position, with the Norwegian exiting (430.2).
Fourth Place: Kusale’s 9.9 kept him safe, securing a medal for India as the Czech competitor exited.
Third Place: Kusale scored 10, surpassing Kulish’s 9.9 to win the bronze medal with a final score of 451.4.

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 outstanding achievement not only made India proud but also highlighted his expertise in shooting sports, solidifying his status as a formidable competitor on the global stage. Swapnil had finished seventh in the qualifying round with a total score of 590, including 38 inner 10s (Xs), from three positions.

Notably, this was India’s third medal in shooting at the Paris Olympics 2024. The first medal came on Monday when Manu Bhaker claimed a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event, making her the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal. Bhaker made history again on Tuesday by winning another bronze with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m pistol mixed team event. She became the first post-independence Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic edition.

WHO IS SWAPNIL?
Swapnil Kusale, born in 1995 into a family with an agricultural background, works as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Pune Railway Division. His father enrolled him in Maharashtra’s Krida Prabhodini, a primary sports program, where after a year of intensive physical training, Kusale chose shooting as his sport. In 2015, he won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 event in the junior category at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. He also triumphed at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, surpassing Gagan Narang and Chain Singh in the 50m rifle prone event. Kusale repeated this success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, winning a gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 position event.