Shooter Swapnil Kusale won a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle three positions final on Thursday (August 1), helping India achieve an unprecedented third shooting medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
India's Kusale clinched the bronze medal despite scoring a 10.0, with a total score of 451.4. Ukrainian shooter Serhiy Kulish secured the silver with a total score of 461.3 and China's Yukun, who set a World Record twice in May, captured the Olympic gold with a total score of 463.6.
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This marks India's third medal at 2024 Paris Olympics, all of which have been in shooting. Before Swapnil Kusale, Manu Bhakar and Sarabjot Singh had also won medals in the Games. Kusale is the seventh Indian shooter to earn an Olympic medal.
Swapnil Kusale advanced to the finals of the 50m rifle three positions event with a total score of 590 in the qualification rounds on Wednesday. His scores were 198 in kneeling, 197 in prone, and 195 in standing.
Swapnil is the first Indian shooter to make it to the final of 50m rifle three positions competition at the Olympics. His journey mirrors that of legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni. Hailing from Kambalwadi village in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Kusale has been representing India in international events since 2012. After a 12-year wait, he has made his Olympic debut, this year in Paris.
Swapnil Kusale has been working as a ticket collector in Central Railway since 2015, much like MS Dhoni, who also worked as a ticket collector before making his debut for the Indian cricket team. Kusale is deeply influenced by Dhoni's personality.