17 october 2024 : The 50m 3 Positions rifle final was tense as Akhil Sheoran prepared for his 41st shot, needing to perform well to catch up with Hungary’s Istvan Peni, Kazakhstan’s Konstantin Malinovskiy, and Czech Republic’s Jiri Privratsky, who were leading. Peni shot a modest 9.5, while Privratsky scored 10.5 and Malinovskiy hit 9.2. With only 50 seconds per shot, Sheoran took his time and delivered the best score of the round at 10.7, moving him into third place.
The 29-year-old maintained his composure, taking 30 seconds or more for each subsequent shot to secure the bronze medal with a final score of 452.6. Peni claimed gold with a score of 465.3, and Privratsky took silver with 464.2. Chain Singh from India finished in seventh place.
Reflecting on his performance, Sheoran shared, “After finishing fifth at the World Cup final in Doha, I knew I could do better. I focused on my routine and took my time with each shot.”
Earlier in the year, he had enjoyed success, winning bronze in Cairo and the Asian Championships in Jakarta, but an accident led to a chip fracture in his arm, hindering his preparation for the Olympic selection trials. Despite the setbacks, he was determined to push forward, stating, “This medal will motivate my preparations for LA 2028. I want to set higher goals and win more tournaments.”
Sheoran qualified in sixth place with a score of 589, while Singh qualified fourth with 590. Both started the final strong but faced challenges during the Kneeling shots. However, Sheoran excelled in the Standing series, climbing into the top three.
Peni, reflecting on his victory, said, “I have had success in India before, and this range suits me. I usually struggle in the Kneeling series, but my strength is in Prone, so leading after that round gave me confidence.”
Meanwhile, Rhythm Sangwan faced disappointment in the 25m pistol final, slipping from medal contention to finish fourth. Despite strong support and good form, she lost a shoot-off for bronze against China’s Feng Sixuan, hitting only one target compared to Feng’s three. Germany’s Josefin Eder won gold with 36 hits, while France’s Camille Jedrzejewski, who had also medaled in the 10m pistol event, took silver.
In the men’s 25m pistol and women’s 50m 3P events, no Indian shooters reached the finals. Currently, China leads the medal tally with four golds and three bronzes, followed by Germany with one gold and two silvers, and France with one gold, one silver, and one bronze.