Manu Bhaker at Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights: Heartbreak for Manu Bhaker, misses a hat-trick of medal following shoot-off for the fourth place elimination

Manu Bhaker at Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights: Manu Bhaker misses her third medal. Finishes fourth. Follow Sportskeeda for live updates on Manu Bhaker at the Paris Olympics 2024

That brings us to the end of our coverage for this event. It was Darpan Tikiya and Pratyush Rohra taking you through the proceedings. Scroll below to read the highlights. Sportskeeda continues to keep you updated with every move of the Indian athletes. Click here to be redirected to our main blog.

Manu Bhaker misses the medal, finishes fourth.

Over the years, many of India's greats have finished fourth at the Olympic stage. The list includes P.T. Usha, Milkha Singh, Mahesh Bhupati and Kunjarani Devi among others. Today, Manu Bhaker gets to know what it feels to be "so near yet so far".

Shooting is indeed a sport of fine margins. With every series of shots that were fired in this finals today, the rankings fluctuated. Bhaker found herself ranked second at a stage, slipped to the sixth position after the next series and then, back to the second spot again. Amidst all this, her demeanour was calm. She looked focused and composed.

Eventually, it came down to a shoot-off between her and Hungary's Veronika Major for the third place. In the shoot-off, Bhaker hit the target thrice, while the Hungarian hit it 4 times in 5 shots. Bhaker missed the medal. Though, unlike the names mentioned above, she does have Olympic medals to her name - not just one, but two. Albeit, the disappointment of missing on a third was palpable in her body language and her post-event interview throughout.

Yet, she can hold her head up high. After all, she has given the Indian fans reasons to rejoice through the week. She is the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in the same Olympic year. Even though, she missed a third, Paris Olympics would always be remembered by India for Manu Bhaker's triumphant returns.

So, it's Jiin Yang of Korea who takes the gold in Paris! Here are the final rankings:

GOLD - Jiin Yang (KOR)- 37 (Shoot-off: 1)
SILVER - Camille Jedrzejewski (FRA)- 37 (Shoot-off:0)
BRONZE - Veronica Major (HUN) - 31

4. Manu Bhaker (IND) - 28
5. Nan Zhao (CHN) - 23
6. Hahiyeh Rostamiyan (IRI) - 19
7. Thu Vinh Trinh (VIE)- 16
8. Katelyn Morgan Abeln (USA) - 5

Veronika Majors bows out. At the end of Series 9, here is how the shooters rank:

1. Jiin Yang (KOR) - 33
1. Camille Jedrzejewski (FRA) - 33
3. Veronica Major (HUN) - 31

MANU BHAKER MISSES - FINISHES FOURTH!

Manu Bhaker misses. She hit 3 out of her 5 shots on target. Hungary's Veronika Major hit 4. While, Bhaker wears a calm expression on her face, the disappointment reflects in her eyes and in her body language as she walks off.

SHOOT OFF FOR THIRD PLACE!

Bhaker and Major are tied with 28 points each. We go into a shoot-off. Medal confirmed for South Korea's Yang Jiin and France's Jedrzejewski.

Down to the final 4 now. Nan Zhao is elimated at the end of series 6. At the end of Series 7, here is how the shooters rank:

1. Jiin Yang - 27
2. Manu Bhaker - 26
2.Camille Jedrzejewski - 26
4. Veronica Major - 25
5. Nan Zhao - 23

Bhaker still second

Bhaker has a score of 26 now and she is tied with France's Camille Jedrzejewski for the second spot. Veronika Major is 3rd with 25. South Korea's Yang Jiin is 1st with 27. TIGHT COMPETITION!

Hahiyeh Rostamiyan is eliminated. At the end of Series 6, here is how the shooters rank:

1. Jiin Yang - 24
2. Manu Bhaker - 22
2. Camille Jedrzejewski - 22
4. Veronica Major - 21
4. Nan Zhao - 21
5. Hahiyeh Rostamiyan - 17

Bhaker ranked second

Manu Bhaker hits 4 out of 5 this time. She is ranked second, tied with Hungary's Veronika Major with a score of 22. South Korea's Yang Jiin is 1st with 24.

It's a superb series from Manu Bhaker as things continue to get tense in the middle. Thu Ving Trinh is the next shooter to be eliminated. At the end of Series 5, here is how the shooters rank:

1. Jiin Yang - 20
2. Veronica Major - 19
3. Manu Bhaker - 18
3. Camille Jedrzejewski - 18
5. Hahiyeh Rostamiyan - 17
5. Nan Zhao - 17
7. Thu Vinh Trinh - 16

Bhaker hits 5 out of 5.

The Indian supporters in the crowd roar vehemently as Bhaker climbs the ladder. She is now ranked 3rd with a score of 18. Hungary's Veronika Major is second with 19, South Korea's Yang Jiin is first with 20.

We've got the first elimination. Katelyn Morgan Abeln is the first shooter to get eliminated with a score of 5.

Bhaker ranked 6th with a score of 13.

Bhaker hit 4 shots out of 5 on target in this series. But the margins are so small that she has slipped to number 6. South Korea's Yang Jiin is 1st with a score of 17.

At the end of Stage 1, here is how the shooters rank:

1. Jiin Yang - 13
2. Manu Bhaker - 10
2. Camille Jedrzejewski - 10
2. Veronica Major - 10
2. Thu Vinh Trinh - 10
2. Nan Zhao - 10
7. Hahiyeh Rostamiyan - 9
8. Katelyn Morgan Abeln - 5

Elimination round begins

The shooter with the lowest score would be eliminated after every series now until we crown our champion.

5 shooters tied on Rank 2

5 shooters including Manu Bhaker are tied on 9 points for the second rank. Bhaker was able to hit 3 out of 5 shots on target in the third series.

Now we are on to the elimination round.

A better second series

Bhaker hits 4 out of 5 shots in the second series. She has a total of 6 out of 10 and is ranked 4th.

Not a great start

Bhaker is able to hit only two of five shots on target in the first series. Remember, it only counts as a "hit" if you register a score of over 10.2 points on the target.

The competition starts in a few moments from now

The bell rings and we are moments away from the first series of shots being fired. The shooters have taken their spots.

Bhaker gets a boisterous welcome

As we mentioned before, there are plenty of Indian supporters at the Chateauroux Shooting Range. They gave Manu Bhaker a thunderous applause as her name was announced.

A quick reminder of the rules

The competition is divided into two stages. In the first stage, three series of shots would be fired. The shooters would be then ranked on the basis of their cumulative scores. Then, we will move on to stage two - where one shooter would be eliminated after every series of shots until we find our champion.

Biggest Threat

Hungary's Veronika Major is expected to be the biggest obstacle in Bhaker's path. She was the only shooter who finished with a better score than Bhaker in the qualification round. She is ranked 7th in the world and is a former world record holder.

Manu Bhaker has indeed been the talk of the town. Here is how social media reacted to the news of her making it to a third final:-

"WHAT A QUEEN" - Netizens react after Manu Bhaker makes yet another final in Paris Olympics 2024

Chateauroux Shooting Range is located more than 200kms away from Paris. Our friends from there tell us that you have to take a bus, a train and then a tuktuk ride to eventually reach there. Yet, a number of Indian supporters could be seen in the morning at the Chateauroux station. There is anticipation in the air, indeed! Can Manu Bhaker script another chapter of Olympic glory today? We will find out together.

Though, at the Olympic stage, nothing can be taken for granted. Having said that, Bhaker would want to give nothing less than her absolute best.

Bhaker goes into the Women's 25m Pistol finals as one of the favourites. She put in an impressive performance in the qualification round and finished second among 40 shooters. Moreover, this is the third time in the last one week that she finds herself in the vicinity of a medal. Hence, we expect her to have gotten used to the pressure of a final by now.

22-year-old Manu Bhaker has already immortalised herself as the first athlete in independent India to win two medals in the same Olympic year. Today she has the chance to go one step further.