Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale clinched India's third medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, securing bronze in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux on Thursday. Kusale's outstanding performance earned him a podium finish with a score of 451.4 points, making him the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in this event. This marks a historic achievement for the Indian shooting team, as they have won three medals at a single Olympic edition for the first time.

The 3P event, or Three-Position Rifle shooting, involves competitors shooting from kneeling, prone, and standing positions. 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, eliminations begin. The two lowest-scoring shooters are eliminated first, followed by subsequent eliminations after each shot until the winner is determined.

 

China's Y.K. Liu won the gold with 463.6 points, and Ukraine's S. Kulish took silver with 461.3 points. Kusale's exceptional performance not only brought pride to India but also showcased his skill and determination in the sport of shooting.

In the qualifying round, Swapnil finished seventh with a score of 590, including 38 inner 10s (Xs) from the three positions.

This bronze is India's third shooting medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The first was won by Manu Bhaker, who claimed bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event, making her the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal in this category. Bhaker made history again by winning another bronze with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m pistol mixed team event, becoming the first post-independence Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic edition.

Who is Swapnil Kusale?

Swapnil Kusale, born in 1995 to an agricultural family, works as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Pune Railway Division. Encouraged by his father, he joined Maharashtra's Krida Prabhodini, a primary sports program. After a year of intensive physical training, he chose shooting as his sport. In 2015, he won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 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 gold in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.