Swapnil Kusale has created history. He has won a bronze medal for India in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position. This is India’s third medal in shooting at this Olympics. Before Swapnil, Manu Bhaker had won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Manu, along with Sarabjot, also won bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed event. Swapnil is the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in women’s or men’s 50m rifle 3 position.
Swapnil’s medal was unexpected because no one had put him in the race for the medal. However, he surprised everyone by winning the bronze medal. In rifle three position, the shooter shoots in three positions. These include kneeling, prone, lying on the stomach and standing. Swapnil was lagging behind even in kneeling and prone. However, Swapnil made a great comeback in the standing position and won the medal. Swapnil scored 153.3 in the kneeling position. After this, his total score in the prone position became 310.1. After kneeling and prone positions, the elimination round started after two shots in the standing position. Swapnil was in sixth place in the kneeling round and fifth after the prone position.
However, as the elimination round began, Swapnil first slipped to fifth and then third. Swapnil remained in third place throughout the elimination round. He fell .5 points behind second-placed shooter Serhiy of Ukraine and missed the silver. Swapnil, however, won the hearts of Indian fans by winning the medal. Swapnil’s final score was 451.4. China’s Yukun Liu won the gold medal with a score of 463.6, while Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish won the silver medal with a score of 461.3.
