Air Rifle

1. Ramita Jindal qualified for the Women’s 10m Air Rifle medal round at Paris 2024.
2. She is the second female shooter in 20 years to achieve this, after Manu Bhaker.
3. Elavenil Valarivan missed out on qualifying for the medal round.

Paris, July 28: India’s Ramita Jindal made history by qualifying for the medal round of the Women’s 10m Air Rifle at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday, July 28, while her compatriot Elavenil Valarivan missed out.

Ramita became the second female shooter in the last 20 years, after Manu Bhaker, to reach the medal round. She is the first Indian female rifle shooter since her coach Suma Shirur (Athens 2004) to make it to an Olympic final.

Ramita scored 631.5, finishing 5th in the rankings and securing her spot in the medal round. Elavenil, who led at the halfway mark, fell behind in the final three series, finishing 10th in the qualifying round.

The final series was crucial for both shooters, as they aimed to overcome the disappointment of the mixed team event.

Hyojin Ban of Korea won the round with 634.5 points, setting an Olympic Qualification record.

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How the Event Unfolded:

  • Ramita’s Strong Start: Ramita began with scores of 10.5 and 10.9, quickly moving to third place after two shots. Valarivan started with 10.6, placing her 8th. Ela then moved to third with her third shot, while Ramita slipped in the rankings.
  • Consistency from Ela: Ela’s consistent shots kept her tied for 5th after the first 8 shots, ending the first round with 105.8 points and starting the second series in 4th place. Ramita finished the first round with 104.3 points and started climbing the rankings in the second series.
  • Ramita’s Steady Climb: Ramita’s strong performance in the second series brought her closer to the top 10, reaching 8th place with a series score of 106. Ela’s performance kept her in the top 3, finishing the second series with 106.1 points.
  • Third Series Challenges: Both shooters faced difficulties in the third series, with Ela dropping to 104.4 points and Ramita to 104.9. However, strong starts in the fourth series brought them back into the top 8.
  • Final Series Drama: In the final series, Ela started strong but ultimately fell to 10th place after a 9.8-point 59th shot, ending with 630.7 points. Ramita maintained her form, finishing with 105.7 points and securing her place in the medal round.

All eyes are now on Manu Bhaker, who will compete in the final round of the women’s 10m Air Pistol on Sunday.