Chateauroux: Swapnil Kusale achieved a historic milestone by winning the bronze medal in the Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, becoming the first Indian shooter to secure a medal in this category at the Olympic Games.
Kusale delivered an impressive performance in the final, scoring a total of 451.4 points to claim third place. The gold medal was awarded to Liu Yukun of China, who scored 463.6 points, while Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish took the silver with a score of 461.3 points.
This bronze medal marks India’s third at the Paris Olympics. Earlier, Manu Bhaker won two bronze medals, one in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event and another in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event with Sarabjot Singh.
In the final, Kusale started strong in the kneeling and prone rounds, accumulating a score of 310.1, which placed him fifth. He maintained his position among the top four during the standing position elimination round, ultimately securing the bronze medal.