In a groundbreaking achievement, Manu Bhaker has made history by winning a bronze medal in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event at the Paris Olympics 2024, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to do so.
As she prepares for the mixed team 10m air pistol final with her partner Sarabjot Singh on Tuesday, Bhaker is set to potentially become the first athlete from (Swatantra Bharat) Independent India to win two medals in the same Olympic Games.
Norman Pritchard remains the only Indian athlete to have won two medals in a single Olympic event, securing two silver medals in athletics at the 1900 Games under British rule. Since then, no Indian athlete has accomplished this feat within one campaign.
Indian athletes Sushil Kumar and PV Sindhu have both won multiple Olympic medals over different Games. Kumar secured a bronze at the Beijing 2008 Games and a silver at the London 2012 Games, marking him as the first Indian athlete post-independence to achieve this.
Sindhu, a badminton star, claimed a silver in Rio 2016 and a bronze in Tokyo 2020, making her the only Indian woman to win multiple Olympic medals, though in different editions.
Bhaker stands on the verge of making unique history by potentially winning two medals in a single Olympic Games. She and Singh will face the Korean pair Oh Ye Jin and Lee Wonho in the upcoming bronze-medal match. The Indian duo qualified with a combined score of 580, narrowly surpassing their Korean competitors who scored 579.
As the events of Day 4 of the Olympic Games unfold, all eyes will be on Bhaker and Singh, hoping they can replicate their qualification success and secure another bronze, further solidifying Bhaker’s position as a pioneer in Indian sports.
