Who is Saurabh Chaudhary? Age, Records, Biography, Medals, Olympic performances

Saurabh Chaudhary is an Indian sports shooter who will be competing in the 10m air pistol men's event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Let's take a closer look at him.

When was Saurabh Chaudhary born?

Saurabh Chaudhary was born on 12 May 2002 in the Meerut district of India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Despite coming from a family of farmers, Saurabh took up the sport of shooting at the age of 13. He learned the tricks of the trade and honed his skills under the watchful eye of coach Amit Sheoran at the Aryangateway Sports Foundation in western UP's Baghpat district.

Medals and Achievements

Saurabh grabbed the sporting world's attention with his performances in 2018. He claimed three gold medals at the 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl. India won the individual 10m air pistol, mixed team 10m air pistol and team 10m air pistol events.

This outing was followed by one gold medal each at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and the Asian Games 2018 respectively. Both medals came in the 10m Air Pistol event. Saurabh finished the year on a high with three medals - one gold, one silver, and a bronze - at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in Changwon. After collecting laurels at the junior level, Saurabh made a seamless transition into the senior level.

In 2019, Saurabh won gold in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi. He also broke the world record with a score of 245.0 at this event. He backed this up with another gold and a silver in the ISSF World Cups in Munich and Rio.

Chaudhary's partnership with teenager Manu Bhaker has also brought laurels to India. The two managed to win 4 gold and a silver in the mixed team 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cups in Munich, New Delhi, Rio, Beijing, and Putian.

Saurabh also managed two silver medals at the 2019 Asian Championships in Doha.

In 2021, Saurabh has already managed to clinch 5 medals - two gold and a silver at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, and a silver and bronze at the World Cup in Osijek.

#Repost @OfficialNRAI. . . . . .@realmanubhaker and @shootersaurabh at it again. Smash qualification world record to win 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Gold at 12th Asian Airgun championships in Taipei. Congratulations Champ! #MedallinTalent #MedallinSports #ManuBhaker #Shooting pic.twitter.com/dyBWQ60WMm

— Medallin Sports (@MedallinSports) March 29, 2019

Earnings

Saurabh Chaudhary is part of the Government of India's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which aims to provide support for India's prospective medal contenders. As part of this scheme, Saurabh earns Rs 50,000 per month.

Olympics record

Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be Saurabh Chaudhary's maiden appearance at the Olympics. He qualified for the games with a WR score of 245.0 at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi in 2019.

Saurabh's record over the past three years has made him one of the favorites to win a medal for India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.