Rubina Francis, in a determined quest for excellence, secured her first Paralympics medal, a bronze, in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 at Paris’ Châteauroux Shooting Centre on Saturday. The 25-year-old’s triumph marked India’s fourth shooting medal at the Games, a moment of immense pride for her and the nation.
Mounting the podium amid cheers from a supportive crowd was undoubtedly a moment of glory. Yet, only Rubina and her coaches fully understood the significance of this achievement, following the heartbreak of missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Paralympics and enduring a three-year wait to set the record straight.
Rubina’s journey to Paris was itself a challenge. She nearly missed the opportunity to compete, but a late allocation of a bipartite (wildcard) quota secured her place in the Indian contingent just days before their departure for the Games.
The day, however, came with mixed emotions for the Indian camp. Mahavir Swaroop Unhalkar, who had high hopes after finishing fourth in Tokyo, failed to qualify for the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final, finishing 14th with a score of 613.4 in a field of 18 shooters.
In her event, Rubina faced a formidable lineup, including Iran’s Paralympic record holder Sareh Javanmardi and Turkey’s world record holder Aysel Özgan. Despite the tough competition, Rubina displayed remarkable composure, securing her spot in the final as the sixth qualifier with a score of 556, just four points shy of her Tokyo performance.
Sareh, who holds the qualification record of 580 and a Paralympic qualification record of 572, topped the qualifiers with a score of 570. Rubina, undeterred, stayed in the top four throughout the final, ensuring she remained in contention for a medal. Her consistency paid off as she finished with a score of 211.1, clinching the bronze. The pride was evident on her face as she stood on the podium, knowing she had finished behind two of the world’s best.
Sareh, who has dominated the Paralympic stage with golds at the Rio and Tokyo Games, continued her golden run, finishing first with a score of 236.8. Aysel Özgan, coming into the competition as the world record holder with a score of 240, managed to secure silver with a score of 231.1, though she had no answers to Sareh’s relentless performance.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, Korea’s Jinho Park, the silver medallist from Tokyo, topped the qualification with a score of 624.4 and went on to win gold with a Paralympic record of 249.4. Kazakhstan’s Yerkin Gabbasov took silver with 247.7, while Denmark’s Martin Joergensen claimed bronze with 226.5. Chao Dong of China, a triple gold medallist from the London, Rio, and Tokyo Paralympics, had a disappointing performance, finishing fifth with a score of 184.6.
Rubina’s bronze medal is a testament to her resilience and determination, marking a significant milestone in her shooting career and bringing glory to India on the Paralympic stage.