INDIAN shooter Swapnil Kusale secured India's first Olympic bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event on Thursday.
Competing on an empty stomach, Kusale kept his composure to stage a comeback after being in sixth place at one point. He achieved an aggregate score of 451.4 in the eight-shooter final, contributing to India's total of three bronze medals in shooting at the Paris Games.
Kusale's medal follows the performance of Manu Bhaker, who won bronze in both the women's 10m air pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol alongside Sarabjot Singh.
"I did not eat anything, was feeling the butterflies (in my stomach). Just had black tea and came here. The night before every match, I just pray to God," Kusale said after his achievement.
"Today the heartbeat was on the higher side. I just tried to control my breathing and did not try anything different. Everyone is more or less the same at this level," he added.
Kusale finished third behind China's Yukun Liu (463.6) and Ukraine's Serhiy Kulish (461.3). This marks the first time since 2012 that an Indian shooter reached the Olympic finals in the 50m rifle event.
"To be honest, I did not see the scoreboard. It was my years of hard work and that is what I kept in mind while shooting. I was listening to the announcements of scores but was ignoring it. I just wanted the Indian supporters to keep cheering for me," he said.
Kusale, who previously worked as an Indian Railways ricket collector, drew inspiration from cricket icon MS Dhoni. He started slowly but recovered to secure third place in his first Olympic appearance.
"Actually, I don't go for railway work. The Indian Railways has given me 365 days' leave to perform well for India. My personal coach, Deepali Deshpande, is like a mother to me. She has supported me unconditionally. I have not spoken to my mother yet," Kusale said.
After placing fourth in the first standing series, Kusale's first shot in kneeling was 9.6. He recovered well with shots of 10.6 and 10.3, briefly moving into second place before dropping back to fourth after a 9.1. A 10.3 helped him secure third place, which he maintained to win the medal.
He ended the kneeling stage in sixth place at 153.3 and was fifth at the end of the prone stage with a total of 310.1. In the final stages, Kusale improved his performance, joining Bhaker and Sarabjot among the medal winners.
The 28-year-old has competed in international events since 2012 and made his Olympic debut in Paris.
"Maybe I was not as strong mentally. All my coaches and support staff helped me a lot. They gave me a lot of emotional support," he said about the delay in reaching this stage.
Kusale, who finished seventh in qualification, has worked for Central Railways since 2015 and has watched Dhoni's World Cup-winning biopic multiple times.
"I don't follow anyone specific in the shooting world. Outside of that, I admire Dhoni for the person that he is. My sport requires me to be as calm and patient as he is on the field. I also relate to his story as I am a ticket collector like he was," Kusale had told PTI after finishing seventh in qualification.
(With inputs from PTI)
Nat Sciver-Brunt
