Paris Olympics: Manu Bhaker scripts history, becomes first-ever Indian woman to win medal in shooting

Shooter Manu Bhaker marked a historic achievement by becoming the first-ever Indian woman to win an Olympic Bronze medal in shooting. 

The 22-year-old from Haryana clinched India's first medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's 10m Air Pistol final event, on July 28. 

Bhaker clinched the third position in the women's 10m air pistol category at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in the French capital. 

The shooter achieved the milestone three years after a series of heartbreaks in Tokyo. 

Manu Bhaker opened her campaign in Paris Olympics as the country ended a 12-year wait for a medal in shooting at the Games. She became only the fifth shooter after Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang to win an Olympic medal in shooting.

Manu kickstarted her game on a strong note, shooting 50.4 in the first series of 5 shots. She shot in excess of 10 three times in the first series. 

In the second set, Manu took her tally to 100.3 and managed to stay in the top 3.

It may be mentioned that Bhaker did not qualify for the final of even one of the three events that she competed in during the Tokyo Olympics. Manu even decided to quit shooting last year before finding joy in the sport again. 

Manu Bhaker finished third in the qualification, showcasing her experience and ability to handle nerves better in Paris, on Saturday in the shooting range.