Paris Olympics: Arjun Babuta Misses Medal by a Hair in Men’s 10m Air Rifle

Arjun Babuta narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 10m Men’s Air Rifle event at the Paris Olympics, settling for a fourth-place finish with a score of 208.4 points. The competition took place at the Chateauroux shooting range on Monday.

Babuta, who showed promise throughout the event, had a strong chance for a top-three finish. However, a disappointing 9.5 on his final shot saw him fall short of a medal. The gold medal was claimed by China’s Sheng Lihao with a record-setting score of 252.2, while Sweden’s Victor Lindgren secured the silver with 251.4. Croatia’s Miran Maricic took home the bronze with a total score of 230.

Earlier in the qualification round, Babuta shot a total of 630.1 over 60 shots, which earned him the seventh spot and qualified him for the final. He is the third Indian shooter to make it to the final in the shooting events at the Paris 2024 Games.

Manu Bhaker was the first Indian to reach a shooting final, securing a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol. The second was Ramita Jindal, who finished seventh in the women’s 10m air rifle final.

Despite missing out on a medal, Babuta's performance highlights the competitive spirit and skill of Indian shooters on the global stage.