.jpg "Manu Bhaker")
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has a date with history on Saturday. The 22-year-old qualified for the finals of the 25m sports pistol event on Friday, keeping herself on course for the third medal of Paris Olympics 2024.
Manu Bhaker, who became the first Indian to win two medals at the same Games, now has the chance to take the tally to three. She finished second to seal her place in the final at the Chateauroux shooting range here on Friday, news agency PTI said.
Manu Bhaker first won a bronze in the 10m women's air event before clinching another in the 10m air pistol mixed team along with Sarabjot Singh. She is the second youngest Indian athlete to win an Olympic medal after shuttler PV Sindhu.
Manu Bhaker remained among the top three almost throughout the qualification phase of 'precision' and 'rapid' rounds. She aggregated 590 to be placed second behind Hungary's Veronika Major who equalled the Olympic record with a score of 592.
She was in impregnable form in the sports pistol qualification rounds, firing 294 in the gruelling 'precision' round with scores of 97, 98 and 99. The 'rapid round' brought out the best in her as she shot a perfect 100, followed by two 98s for a aggregate of 296.
Bhaker's sterling performance here has come after a failed campaign at the Tokyo Games in 2021 where a pistol malfunction stopped her from achieving her Olympic dream.
India has won all three medals so far in shooting, with Manu bagging two and Swapnil Kusale taking the bronze in 50m rifle three-positions on Thursday.
