E-Paper
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar clinches silver in 50m 3-positions rifle, shooting medals soar to 18
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar secured India's fourth shooting medal of the day by winning the silver in the men's 50m 3-positions rifle event at the Asian Games.
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar gave India its fourth shooting medal of the day when he clinched silver in the men's 50m 3-positions rifle event at the Asian Games. Aishwary, who along with Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran finished with gold in the team event earlier in the day, finished second behind Linshu Du of China to take India's medal tally in shooting to 18.
Aishwary delivered a remarkable performance, culminating in a score of 459.7, as he executed a brilliant comeback during the standing position, despite occupying the 5th position following the kneeling and prone rounds. On the other hand, Swapnil, who initially led the competition after the first 30 shots in the kneeling and prone position, must have felt a deep sense of disappointment with his performance in the final 15 shots in the standing position. His shot of 7 dropped him to 4th place from the coveted top spot, and the damage was insurmountable. He ultimately finished in 4th position with a total score of 438.9.
The action started with the kneeling position, and it was Swapnil who made a strong impression early on. He began with a string of shots in the 10s, although his first shot was a 9.8, hinting at the intense competition ahead. Aishwary, on the other hand, initially struggled and found himself at the bottom of the rankings after five shots with a score of 48.8. Nonetheless, there were two more series of shots to go in the kneeling position, totaling ten shots.
As the competition went on, Aishwary improved significantly, managing to achieve a notable 10.8 in his second shot. This performance helped him climb up the leaderboard. In the meantime, Swapnil, despite a dip in his scores, was still among the top competitors, holding the third position with a score of 51.4. With more shots remaining in the kneeling position, there was still ample opportunity for both shooters to change their standings.
Moving into the second phase, Swapnil made a noteworthy ascent in the rankings, securing the second spot with a cumulative score of 103.6. Aishwary, too, showed progress, moving up to sixth place with a score of 100.8. As the kneeling phase concluded, the shooters transitioned to the prone position. The standings had seen some shifts, but it was clear that the event was still highly competitive. Kazakh shooter Konstantin Malinovskiy and China's Linshu were leading the pack, holding the first and second positions with scores of 153.8 and 153.5, respectively. Swapnil and Aishwary, along with the rest of the competitors, had to keep their focus as there were still many shots left in the competition.
With the prone phase complete, Swapnil emerged as the frontrunner with a remarkable score of 257.6. His consistent and precise shooting had propelled him to the top spot. Aishwary, however, was in sixth place after 25 shots with a score of 254.7. The competition was heating up, and the elimination rounds were up next.
In the following series of shots, Swapnil's performance was nothing short of sublime. His scores consistently hovered in the 10s, solidifying his lead with a score of 310.8. Aishwary also improved his position, moving up to fifth place with a score of 306.4. As the prone phase came to an end, the shooters braced themselves for the standing position, where eliminations would come into play. China's Linshu and Tian were emerging as strong contenders, occupying the second and third positions behind Swapnil. At this point, Swapnil was undoubtedly the favourite for the gold medal.
In the standing position, Swapnil had a bit of a shaky start with two nines in the first two shots. However, he quickly regained his composure, delivering shots in the 10s, securing his lead with a total score of 361.3 after 35 shots. Aishwary also put up a solid performance, with a score of 358.1, tying for the third position.
The eliminator began and with South Korea's Sangdo Kim ended up in the last place, he was the first shooter out. A surprising turn of events then saw Swapnil fall to fifth place, a significant setback caused by a crucial mistake – a score of 7.6 that might cost him a medal. Ultimately, Swapnil finished fourth, but Aishwary steadily climbed to the third position, ultimately first, securing a well-deserved medal.
