Indian shooters to medal at the OIympics

Shooter Manu Bhaker opened India’s account at the 2024 Paris Olympics after she claimed a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux on Sunday. Bhaker’s medal came on the second day of competitions at the Games and could open the doors for many more medals in the next couple of weeks.
Here’s the list of five Indian shooters who have won medals at the Olympic Games:
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore — Athens 2004
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore created history 20 years ago in Athens when he became the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal. Rathore had clinched a silver in men’s double trap. It is still India’s only shotgun medal. The gold was won by United Arab Emirates’s Ahmed Al Maktoum while the bronze went to China’s Wang Zheng.
Abhinav Bindra — Beijing 2008
Abhinav Bindra etched his name in the record books in the Chinese capital by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal. He claimed the title in men’s 10m air rifle, India’s first rifle medal at the Olympic Games. China’s Zhu Qinan and Henri Hakkinen of Finland claimed silver and bronze respectively. Bindra’s gold swelled India’s tally to three medals — the first time Indian athletes returned with more than two medals from the same Games.
Vijay Kumar — London 2012
Vijay Kumar was the surprise medallist in London as he claimed silver in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol final, India’s first medal in pistol shooting. Cuban Leuris Pupo claimed gold while the bronze went to Chinese Ding Feng.
Gagan Narang — London 2012
Gagan Narang’s bronze medal in the men’s 10m air rifle final took India’s tally to six medals in the British capital — India’s second best show in Olympic history. Italian legend Niccolo Campriani and Romanian Alin Moldoveanu had won gold and silver. India failed to win a shooting medal in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
Manu Bhaker – Paris 2024
By clinching a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final on Sunday, Manu Bhaker ended India’s 12-year medal drought in shooting. The medal opened India’s account at the 2024 Games as South Koreans Oh Ye Jin and Kim Yeji claimed gold and silver respectively. Bhaker became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal and the second pistol shooter after Vijay.