Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, 25th July - Men's and Women's Archery Teams Secure Quarterfinal Berths, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat shine

Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, 25th July - Both, the men's and women's archery teams shone, securing quarterfinal berths, while individual brilliant performances from Dhiraj Bommadevara, Ankita Bhakat and Tarundeep Rai highlighted India's inaugural day at Paris Olympics 2024. Follow Sportskeeda for every update on Paris Olympics 2024.

Right then, that's all the action we have for you from today! The Women's trio of Ankita Bhakat (11th), Bhajan Kaur (22nd) and Deepika Kumari (23rd) all finished within the top 25, and ensured that the team was placed fourth to seal a quarterfinal spot. Pressure was high on the men to replicate the feat and boy, did they deliver! Dhiraj Bommadevara, after a slow start, made huge strides to finish fourth, while the ever-experienced Tarundeep Rai kept India up in contention in the team event, finishing 14th individually. Pravin Jadhav finished 39th and will definitely be hoping for a better performance in the coming days.

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The men's competition witnessed a strong showing from the Indian archers. Much like the women's team, they too earn a direct entry into the quarterfinals of the team event. As far as individuals are concerned, Dhiraj Bommadevara turned out to be the most impressive. He had a particularly strong second half where he earned 59 points in two ends and 58 points in two ends as well. He finishes just outside the top 3. Tarundeep Rai's start was ordinary but he soon picked up his performance shooting 58 points thrice. He finished 14th. Meanwhile, Pravin Jadhav couldn't be as consistent as his teammates and finished on the 39th spot. Overall, the bar of expectation has risen. After this performance, the country would be hoping for the team to finish on the podium. In the individual event, eyes would be glued to Dhiraj Bommadevara in particular.

Archery Ranking Round - Mixed Team Scores and Ranking

India finish 5th with a combined score of 1347. Dhiraj Bommadevara scored 681 in the men's competition, while Ankita Bhakat secured 666 in the women's competition. Remember, these two together won the bronze medal at the Shanghai leg of the Archery World Cup 2024. Hence, this pairing would make India a medal hopeful in the mixed event too.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking - FINAL SCORES

Individual:-
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 681-14X, Rank: 4
Tarundeep Rai: 674-9X, Rank: 14
Pravin Jadhav: 658-8x, Rank: 39

Team:-
India - 2013, Rank - 3 of 12

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 12

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 59 (X, X, 10, 10, 10, 9) ; Total: 681-14X, Rank: 4
Tarundeep Rai: 56 (X, 10, 9, 9, 9, 9); Total: 674-9X, Rank: 14
Pravin Jadhav: 55 (10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8) ; Total: 658-8x, Rank: 39

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 12

Team India: 2013 - 31x Rank: 3 of 12

India are through to the Quarterfinals! After a rocky start, India make a strong comeback in the second half of the Ranking Round to finish in the third place and seal themselves a spot in the Men's Archery Team Quarterfinals!

Final scores are coming up.

One final end remains. Things would have to go horribly wrong for India to fall out of the top 4 in the team competition now. In the individual competition, Germany's Florian Unruh has broken into top3. Only 3 points separate him and Dhiraj, who is currently ranked 5th.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 11

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 56 (X, X, 10, 9, 9, 9) ; Total: 622-12X, Rank: 5
Tarundeep Rai: 57 (10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 9); Total: 618-8X, Rank: 14
Pravin Jadhav: 53 (X, X, 9, 9, 8, 7) ; Total: 603-8x, Rank: 38

Dhiraj continues to go from strength to strength. Jadhav started this round well but slipped in his last two shots. Tarundeep Rai makes a good comeback after an ordinary display in the last round.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 11

Team India: 1843 - 28x Rank: 3 of 12

France has raced ahead and it seems very likely that India will finish third in this Ranking Round. With just one end remaining, India has a comfortable lead over the fourth-placed team but has perhaps fallen back a touch when compared to France.

After the 10th End: France edge past India in the team competition to occupy the second spot. Meanwhile, in the individual competition, South Korea have re-conquered the top 3 spots. Dhiraj is now ranked 6th, Tarundeep 13th and Pravin Jadhav 34. Two ends remain.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 10

Team India: 1677 - 24x Rank: 3 of 12

India slips down to the third position with two rounds to go. A great round for France sees them surpass India and be placed second. However, on a positive note, there is an 18-point difference between India and fourth-placed China.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 10

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 59 (X, 10, 10, 10, 9, 9) ; Total: 556-10X, Rank: 6
Tarundeep Rai: 54 (X, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8); Total: 561-8X, Rank: 13
Pravin Jadhav: 54 (10, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8) ; Total: 550-6x, Rank: 34

All three Indian archers ascend the charts after the 9th end. Dhiraj Bommadevara is ranked 8th, Tarundeep Rai 10th and Pravin Jadhav 32nd. In the team competition, India are now second only behind South Korea. Though, the 25 point gap seems stiff.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 9

Team India: 1511 - 22x Rank: 2 of 12

Sensational! India have overtaken hosts France to rise to the second position! Both Tarundeep Rai and Dhiraj Bommadevara find themselves in the top 10 now. India on the charge now! They aren't too far away from securing a quarterfinal berth.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 9

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 59 (X, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9) ; Total: 508-9X, Rank: 8
Tarundeep Rai: 57 (10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 9); Total: 507-7X, Rank: 10
Pravin Jadhav: 58 (X, X, 10, 10, 9, 9) ; Total: 496-6x, Rank: 32

Tarundeep Rai displaces Dhiraj Bommadevara in the top 10. In the team charts, India are now ranked third behind South Korea and hosts France. Meanwhile, Cuba's Franco Hugo has broken into the top 3 of the individual competition, separating Lee Wooseok from his mates.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 8

Team India: 1337 - 19x Rank: 3 of 12

India continues to be placed third after the eighth end. However, Chinese Taipei is right on India's tail, trailing by just one point. They have more X's so far and a tied score will see them overtaking India. The Indian trio need to extend their lead further now.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 8

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 56 (X, 10, 9, 10, 9, 9) ; Total: 449-8X, Rank: 12
Tarundeep Rai: 58 (X, 10, 10, 10, 9, 9); Total: 450-7X, Rank: 10
Pravin Jadhav: 55 (X, 10, 10, 9, 8, 8) ; Total: 438-4x, Rank: 39

Jubilation on the faces of the Indian coaches as Dhiraj Bommadevara breaks into the top 10. He did not have the best of starts but has made a stunning comeback. As he gets into the groove, India will certainly be hoping for a continued good run till the end of this half too.

Dhiraj puts in a solid performance in the 7th end leapfrogging to the 10th spot in the rankings. Tarundeep Rai is 15th, while Pravin Jadhav is 38th. The South Koreans still occupy the top 3 spots. While, India break into the top 4 on the team chart.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 7

Team India: 1168 - 16x Rank: 3 of 12

Massive gains for India as they break into the top four! The break between the two halves certainly seems to have helped the trio as round is very favourable to the Indians. They've gone past Chinese Taipei and Italy now while Korea and France continue to be placed first and second respectively.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 7

Tarundeep Rai: 55 (10, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9); Total: 392-6X, Rank: 15
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 58 (X, X, 10, 10, 9, 9) ; Total: 393-7X, Rank: 10
Pravin Jadhav: 55 (X, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8) ; Total: 383-3x, Rank: 38

As for the Indian archers, they find themselves placed in three very different categories. Tarundeep Rai, who has been India's best comfortably, is ranked 14 while Dhiraj is ranked 24 and Pravin Jadhav is ranked 37. Overall, as a team too they will have to score more consistently and better to break into the top four. An exciting second half awaits us. Stay tuned!

We are half way through the men's ranking round now. South Koreans have dominated thus far. They are at the apex position in the team chart and all three of their archers also occupy the top 3 places in the individual competition. Last time's gold medallist Mete Gazoz is currently ranked 17th on the individual table and World Rank No.1 Marcus D'Almeida occupies the 20th spot.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 6

Team India: 1000 - 13x Rank: 6 of 12

India back down to the sixth position. At the end of the first half, India find themselves within touching distance of the fourth position but it'll require a much better showing in the second half if they are to earn direct qualification to the quarterfinals.
Korea (1032), France (1011), Italy (1009), Chinese Taipei (1002) and China (1000-21x) are the top five currently.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 6

Tarundeep Rai: 56 (X, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8); Total: 337-6X, Rank: 14
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 56 (X, X, 10, 9, 9, 8) ; Total: 335-5X, Rank: 24
Pravin Jadhav: 56 (10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8) ; Total: 328-2x, Rank: 37

A decent showing by all three archers in this round. Pravin Jadhav, who seemed to be falling behind has pulled himself up to the 37th rank now. Meanwhile Tarundeep and Dhiraj continue to go from strength to strength.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 5

Tarundeep Rai: 58 (X, X, 10, 10, 9, 9); Total - 281-5X, Rank - 15
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 57 (X, X, X, 10, 9, 8) Total - 279-3X, Rank - 25
Pravin Jadhav: 55 (10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8) Total - 272-2x, Rank 43

Strong show by Dhiraj in this round hitting 3 Xs. Meanwhile, Tarundeep Rai continues to impress as well. Pravin Jadhav though, will need to pull up his socks in the upcoming ends.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 5

Team India: 832 - 10x Rank: 5 of 12

India steadily moving up in the rankings now. They have gone past China and have a two-point lead over them now. However, the Indian trio is trailing to Chinese Taipei by 1 point, something that they'll look to cover and break into the top four.

The 7 by Tarundeep could come back to haunt him. He slips to the 23rd rank. Meanwhile South Korean domination continues. They are leading the team charts as well as the individual table with Lee Wooseok currently ranked no. 1

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 4

Team India: 662 - 5x Rank: 6 of 12

Whew, the race is getting intense as we near the completion of the first half. India is tied for points with fifth-placed Chinese Taipei and just one point behind fourth-placed China. While the top three are distancing themselves from the rest, India will be hoping to finish fourth and book a direct quarterfinal berth.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 4

Tarundeep Rai - 53 (10, 9, 9, 9, 9, 7) Total - 223-3X, Rank 23
Dhiraj Bommadevara - 56 (10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8) Total - 222, Rank 27
Pravin Jadhav 54 (X, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8)Total - 217-2x, Rank 43

The scores after 4th end are now coming up.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 3

Team India: 499 - 4x Rank: 6 of 12

Despite being tied with fifth-placed China for points, a lesser number of X's (4 as compared to China's 9) means that India is placed sixth. However, it presents a good chance for India to overtake some big opponents. Meanwhile, Korea (517) and Italy (511) have begun distancing themselves from the rest of the teams.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round - Scores After End 3

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 56 (10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 9) Total - 166, Rank 32
Tarundeep Rai: 57 (X, X, 10, 9, 9, 9); Total - 170-3X, Rank 16
Pravin Jadhav: 53 (10, 9, 9, 9, 8, 8) Total - 163-1X, Rank 42

Tarundeep Rai continues to go from strength to strength. Pravin Jadhav, meanwhile, falls behind after two relatively weaker shots.

Scores at the end of the 3rd end are coming up now.

Our sources at the venue tell us that the sun is glaring at the archers as they take their shots. Veteran Tarundeep Rai has adjusted the best.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 2

Team India: 333 - 2x Rank: 6 of 12

Not the best of rounds for Team India here as they slip down to the sixth position. Dhiraj failing to get a single 10 in this round while Tarundeep had a fantastic round. Korea have taken the top spot in the team event, while Italy, France, China and Colombia follow.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 2

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 53 (9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8); Total - 110, Rank 36
Tarundeep Rai: 58 (X, 10, 10, 10, 9, 9); Total - 113-1X, Rank 16
Pravin Jadhav: 55 (10, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9) Total - 110-1X, Rank 37

Tarundeep Rai puts his experience on display as he hits an impressive score 58 points in the second round, climbing up the charts to the 16th rank. Meanwhile, Dheeraj and Pravin are neck and neck at no. 36 and 37. Colombia's Santiago Arcila leads the table right now.

Men's Archery Team Ranking Round - Scores After End 1

Team India: 167 - 1x
Rank: 4 of 12

A decent start for the Indian team as they are placed fourth after End 1. Dhiraj leading the charge with 57 points while Tarundeep and Pravin have scored 55 in their first round. Italy, France and Korea are the top three currently with 169, 168 and 167-3x points respectively.

Men's Archery Individual Ranking Round Scores After End 1

Dhiraj Bommadevara: 57 (10,10,10,10, 9, 8); Total - 57, Rank 11
Tarundeep Rai: 55 (10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8); Total - 55, Rank 33
Pravin Jadhav: 55 - 1X (X, 10, 9, 9, 9, 9); Total - 55-1X, Rank 30

Italy's Federico Musolesi leads the ranking after the first end. India are off to a decent start. Dhiraj was particularly impressive with 4 consecutive 10s.

Big names among foreign players to keep an eye on

Marcus D'Amleida - Brazil: Currently ranked number one in the world. He has a 73% win rate in recurve archery.
Mete Gazoz - Turkey: Gold medalist in the individual competition at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kim Woojin - South Korea: Ranked second in the world as an individual recurve archer. Won the team gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics as well as the Rio Olympics.

The teams are still going through the practise rounds currently. Indian team is accompanied by coaches Sonam Bhutia and Purnima Mahato. Both were at the venue for the women's competition too.

A quick reminder of the rules

Each archer shoots 12 ends in total. Each end consists of 6 arrows. Hence, 72 arrows in total. The archer shoots from a distance of 70 metres aiming at concentric circles drawn on a 122cm target board. Each arrow can fetch maximum 10 points. In the end, the total scores of would decide the ranking and hence, the seeding for the main competition. The lower you finish in this round, the tougher the draws get for you. Also, the scores of all three Indian archers would be combined to determine the team score in the end. If India finish in the top 4, they would get a direct ticket to the quarterfinals, much like the women's team.
Each time an archer hits bullseye, it is denoted by X in the scores. In case of a tie breaker, the one with more Xs gets ahead.

Men's Ranking Round - Records

We saw a World Record being broken earlier in the day in the Women's Ranking Round. Here are the current records for the Men's, which the archers will be looking to get past today:

Individual:
World Record: Brady Ellison (USA) - 702 at Lima in 2019
Olympic Record: Kim Woojin (KOR) - 700 at Rio de Janeiro in 2016

Men's Team:
World Record & Olympic Record: Republic of Korea - 2087 at London in 2012

Weather Update

It was a hot morning in Paris today. However, the weather has now cooled down. There is a gentle breeze blowing at the venue. Remember, this is important as an archer shoots his arrow with the wind direction in mind. At the highest level, you don't expect the archers to fret too much over the breeze though. When you look up, you find clear skies as well as the Eiffel Tower peeking through as it is not too far from the venue.

India's men's team boasts of a nice mix of youth and experience. The team consists of Tarundeep Rai, Dheeraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav. 40 year old Rai is competing at the Olympic stage for the fourth time, while Jadhav is making his second appearance. Bommadevara would be having his first taste of the Olympics. With the women's team finishing 4th and making a direct entry into the quarterfinals, the expectations from the men's team have also skyrocketed. This trio won the gold medal at the Shanghai leg of the 2024 Archery World Cup and hence, are expected to do well here too.

The men's team have reached the venue

After the women, it is time now for the men's team to take centre stage. They reached the venue about 10 minutes back and currently going through their preparation routine. The competition is set to begin in less than half an hour from now.

Born to a former technical official of the Archery Association of India, the sport came naturally to Dhiraj. With plenty of experience and medals under his belt, read all about his story as he gears up for Paris 2024 Olympics 👇

Who is Dhiraj Bommadevara? All you need to know about the Indian archer competing at the Paris Olympics 2024