India’s Manu Bhaker clinched a Tokyo 2020 Olympic quota for India in the women’s 10m pistol, finishing fourth in the final at the season’s third International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Munich on Wednesday.
However, the 17-year-old missed a medal by a whisker, finishing just 0.1 point behind the bronze medal position. She finished with 201.0 points, while Minjung Kim of Korea won the bronze. Greece’s Anna Korakaki (241.4 points) snagged the gold with a commanding performance while China’s Wei Qian (239.6) took home silver and the second quota place.
Bhaker’s performance came days after a weapon malfunction ended her good run in the 25m sport pistol final.
Earlier, she had finished third in qualification scoring a total of 582 points (28 x inner 10s), shooting a solid 98 in her last two rounds.
Yashaswini Singh Deswal, a junior World Cup winner, was also on course to make the final before a poor series of 92 in the final set saw her fall down the ranks to 22nd with a total of 574 (17 x inner 10s). Heena Sidhu, the third Indian in the fray, was placed 45th with a total of 570 (13 x inner 10s).
On Monday, Bhaker had to endure an unfortunate heartbreak as she missed out on the podium after a weapon malfunction saw her slip to fifth spot after leading the field. She fired a blank round to be eliminated, finishing fifth in the women’s 25m pistol. Compatriot Rahi Sarnobat went on to clinch gold and an Olympic quota place.
Bhaker earned India’s first quota in women’s 10m pistol after Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma won both the quota places in men’s 10m air pistol at the World Cups in Delhi and Beijing respectively. India have now confirmed seven spots at the shooting events for Tokyo 2020.
