SKannan in Chateauroux
Swapnil Kusale soaked up the big-stage pressure like a sponge as he came out blazing in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions to win a historic bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. For the second day in a row, the young man from Pune ensured his heart rate was in the normal range as he entered the final hall with measured steps. He was wearing the heavy jacket, but his facial contours conveyed an inner calm.
“I felt a lot of pressure but am glad to win a medal for my country,” said Swapnil, his words as measured as his shooting. There were three stages in the final – kneeling, prone and standing. Indeed, the last phase, where he stood and shot was a treat to watch.
Having been placed sixth after the kneeling segment, Swapnil moved up to fifth after a superb set of 15 shots in prone position. Another good set of 10 in the standing position moved him up to third behind China’s Liu Yukun and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish, who won the gold and silver. In the elimination rounds, he couldn’t quite make up the gap to those two, finishing 0.5 behind Kulish.
Immediately after the mixed zone interaction, Swapnil called his coach Deepali Deshpande, whom he addresses as Madam. “Madam has helped me in drilling the fundamentals from the beginning,” said Swapnil. He had missed out on a medal in the Asian Games and was always the underdog compared to Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar.
Working for the Indian Railways, Swapnil just had to shoot and not worry about going to office. “I am thankful to the Railways they give me enough time to train,” he said. “This medal is for India and I am proud I could handle the pressure.”
After two medals had come from Manu Bhaker, both bronze, it was Swapnil’s turn. Replying to a question asked by RevSportz, Swapnil spoke aboutDeshpande, his coach from 2012. “I have been training with Madam since 2012,” he said. “She knows me so well, Madam is like a mother to me.”Deshpande was not cleared to travel to Paris by theNational Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
The atmosphere inside the arena was full of energy. The shooting jacket increases the body temperature but Swapnil did not have any problems in dealing with the conditions. “I just focused on my shooting,” said Kusale, who is a Lord Ganesha devotee.
This is the first time an Indian has won a medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, but Swapnil said he does not bother about past results and this win for India makes him happy.
Indeed, there are many ways an athlete celebrates a historic medal. Swapnil was cool as a cucumber. His patience is something which has been built over years by a coach who has worked with Arjun Babuta as well. Finally, when Swapnil went for the mandatory dope test, he needed to hydrate himself well.
To keep in touch with the Olympics:
Third Bronze for India | Swapnil Kusale becomes 1st Indian to win a Medal in Rifle 3 Positions https://t.co/d8UjP3wzy4
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 1, 2024
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