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With bronze in 50m 3P, Sheoran clinches Olympic quota place for India
India are now second in the medals tally with three gold and three silvers with China leading with seven gold and a total of 13 medals
A day after Mehuli Ghosh clinched an 10m air rifle bronze to pick a quota for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Akhil Sheoran added another when he claimed a bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 Positions (3P) at the ISSF World Championships in Baku on Sunday.
Sheoran was the toast of the day as he claimed India’s fifth Paris 2024 quota – second from the event after Swapnil Kusale won the first at the Worlds Championships in Cairo last year. Austrian Alexander Schmirl won gold and Petr Nymbursky, from the Czech Republic, took home the silver.
Rhythm Sangwan also shot well to make the women’s 25m pistol final but finished eighth to miss out on another Paris 2024 quota.
India are now second in the medals tally with three gold and three silvers with China leading with seven gold and a total of 13 medals.
In addition to the bronze, Sheoran combined with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar for a total of 1750 to clinch the men’s 3P team gold. Then, the women’s 25m pistol team comprising Sangwan, Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh also won gold with a total of 1744 which pipped Chinese Taipei by a point as China won bronze.
"It really means a lot to me. We have been working so hard all these years for this. The World Championships come once in four years. To win a medal and a quota as well is really very satisfying. I could have pushed a bit more in the end for silver or gold, although the distance for gold was a bit more. I want to dedicate this quota to my country,” said Sheoran.
After making the final following a gruelling elimination round, Sheoran started with a 10.6 to be the best after the first shot. However, after the first five shots in Kneeling, he was fourth with a series of 50.3.
With a 9.4 in his 10th shot, Sheoran was down to fifth. The Indian got a 10.9 in his 12th but after the end of the 15-Kneeling position shots, he was sixth with Schmirl in lead.
Sheoran shot a sensational Prone round and by the end of it was up to second with 308.9, 3.4 behind Schmirl going into the final Standing position.
With Schmirl a long way ahead, the battle was for second. Akhil shot 10.5, 10.2 and another for his 43rd but a 9.5 for his 44th meant that Nymbursky overtook him for silver. Sheoran finished with 450 while Schmirl shot 462.6 and Nymbursky 459.2.
Earlier in the mixed Skeet team Olympic event, two Indian pairs, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Ganemat Sekhon, finished outside the medals. Anant and Ganemat shot 139 in qualification to finish 25th while Angad and Parinaaz shot 135 to finish 37th.
