In a thrilling finale at the 2024 Paris Olympics, India's Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 25m pistol event, ending in fourth place after a tense shoot-off with former world record holder Veronica Major. The gold medal was claimed by South Korea’s Yang Jin, who secured her victory by defeating France’s Camille Jedrzejewski in a shoot-off as well.
The 22-year-old Bhaker had a strong showing throughout the competition, consistently placing in the upper ranks. At the conclusion of Stage 1, she was in second position, a spot she maintained until the final moments when the mounting pressure took its toll.
Manu Bhaker, who has already won two bronze medals at these Games, making her the first Indian athlete to achieve multiple medals at a single Olympics, demonstrated resilience and skill. Her performance in Paris is likely to fuel her ambitions as she looks ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The final began with athletes taking their positions at 12:59 PM, and the competition officially started at 1 PM. Manu didn’t have an ideal start, with only two hits in her first five shots, placing her sixth. However, she quickly found her rhythm, missing just one shot in the second series and climbing to second place, tied with four other competitors, with Yang Jin leading with 13 hits.
In the first elimination series, Manu struggled slightly, scoring three hits and dropping to sixth place. The high level of competition was evident as Katelyn Abeln was eliminated with just five hits.
The second series saw Manu make a remarkable comeback, hitting all five targets and jumping to third place with 18 hits. Yang Jin maintained her lead with 20 hits. Trinh Tru Vinh was eliminated in this round with 16 hits.
In the third elimination series, Manu continued her steady performance, registering four hits and holding onto second place alongside Camille Jedrzejewski, with Yang still leading with 24 hits.
The fourth series was crucial as Manu closed the gap with Yang, both scoring four hits. At this stage, only four shooters remained, with Yang leading by just one hit at 27, while Manu and Jedrzejewski were tied at 26, and Veronica Major closely following with 25.
In the final series, Manu managed only two hits, dropping to third place and setting up a nail-biting shoot-off with Major. The shoot-off began with both shooters scoring one hit each. After three shots, the tension was palpable, with both missing once. However, Manu missed again, allowing Major to stay in the competition and claim the bronze. Manu finished with 28 hits, just shy of the medal positions.
