There seems to be no stopping Manu Bhaker at the Paris Olympics. It is as if the 22-year-old wants to emphasize every time she has taken aim at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre the past few days that the aberration at the Tokyo Olympics was an uncontrollable, and missing out in the medal race with a 15th palce finish in Women’s 25m Pistol so unfair at that point.
It wasn’t easy, but her faith in the Bhagvad Gita helped get over the dark phase, where at one point she even contemplated quitting the sport. Looking back, Manu can confirm that the 2021 setback prepared her for the triumphs in Paris.
One more glimpse of Manu’s stupendous comeback was on display as she made her third consecutive final at these Games, this time the 25m pistol range her sphere of excellence.
Compared to 10m pistol qualification, where she finished third, Manu stepped up further on Friday by finishing second in qualification with a score of 590, two back of Hungary’s Veronika Major, who equalled the qualification Olympic record of 592.
Should a medal come her way in the final on Saturday, Manu will go down in history as the first Indian athlete to make the podium thrice in a single Olympics.
It could well have been two Indians vying for a medal on Saturday as Esha Singh began well but could not maintain the tempo, and slipped out of contention to finish 18th with a 581.
In a cerebral sport like shooting, momentum scores above everything else, and Manu had it with her after the bronze in 10m air pistol, followed by the bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team with Sarabjot Singh.
Of critical importance was to keep focus in the midst of the unprecedented hype. Phone calls from high-profile personalities, media interviews and being sought after at the shooting range and Games Village, it was easy to get swayed and distracted. But it is to Manu’s credit that she did not allow a drop in intensity.
One final test awaits, and as always Manu will be guided by that one lesson from the Gita, to shut out the noise and focus on what’s in her control.
Manu may have more than made up for the Tokyo disappointment, but Veronika Major has work cut out on that front. The 27-year-old Hungarian had topped the qualification in 10m air pistol with a score of 582, but her hopes of a medal were dashed early in the final as she was the first shooter to be eliminated in the field of eight with a score of 114 after 12 shots.