Indian Shooter Swapnil Kusale Clinches Bronze in 50m Rifle 3 Positions at Paris Olympics

In a thrilling display of marksmanship, Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 1. This historic win marks India's first-ever Olympic medal in this challenging shooting discipline and brings the country's total medal count to three, all bronze, in the ongoing Games. 

Kusale, a 28-year-old from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, demonstrated exceptional skill and composure during the eight-shooter final. Despite a slow start that saw him placed sixth at one point, he staged a remarkable comeback to finish with an impressive aggregate score of 451.4 points. The gold and silver medals were claimed by China's Yukun Liu (463.6 points) and Ukraine's Serhiy Kulish (461.3 points), respectively. 

The journey to Olympic success has been long and arduous for Kusale, who has been competing in international events since 2012. His perseverance finally paid off with this debut Olympic appearance, where he not only qualified but also secured a podium finish. Kusale's achievement is particularly noteworthy as it comes 12 years after Joydeep Karmakar's fourth-place finish in the 50m rifle prone event at the 2012 London Olympics. 

Kusale's background adds an inspiring dimension to his Olympic triumph. Coming from a family of educators – his father and brother are teachers, while his mother serves as the sarpanch (village head) of Kambalwadi – Kusale has been working as a ticket collector for Central Railways since 2015. He draws inspiration from cricket icon MS Dhoni, both for his calm demeanor and shared experience as a former railway employee. 

This bronze medal continues India's impressive showing in shooting events at the Paris Olympics. Earlier, Manu Bhaker clinched bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event, and the duo of Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured another bronze in the mixed team 10m air pistol competition. The fact that all three of India's medals have come from shooting underscores the country's growing strength in this sport.