Heartbreak for Arjun Babuta as he finishes fourth in men’s 10m Air Rifle at the Paris Olympics 2024

It was another heartbreak for Indian shooting at Paris Olympics 2024 as Arjun Babuta narrowly missed out on a podium finish, ending up in fourth place in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event on Monday (July 29). Despite a strong start and a commendable performance throughout, Babuta's campaign fell just short of securing a medal to leave fans and himself disheartened.

Babuta, who began the competition with a stellar first shot of 10.7, quickly positioned himself among the top contenders. As the event progressed, he maintained a steady presence in the top three. By the midway point of the series, Babuta was firmly in contention for a medal.

However, the pressure of the final shots proved overwhelming. Arjun Babuta's penultimate shot, while solid at 10.5, did not fully close the gap to his competitors. He was sitting at 198.9 points, trailing slightly behind Miran Maricic, who held 199.1 points. With a final push needed, Babuta faced the daunting task of surpassing Maricic and clinching a medal.

In the final shot, Arjun Babuta could only manage a score of 9.5, ending his series with a total of 208.4 points. This placed him just 1.1 points shy of Germany's Victor Lindgren, who secured the bronze medal with 209.3 points. Babuta’s performance, though impressive, was marred by the close margin that kept him out of the medal positions.

The gold medal was claimed by Sheng Lihao of the People’s Republic of China, who set a new Olympic record with a total score of 252.2. Sweden’s Victor Lindgren, the reigning world champion, took the silver with a score of 251.4. Croatia’s Miran Maricic rounded out the podium with a bronze, finishing with 230.0 points.

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Paris Olympics 2024: Men’s 10m Air Rifle Final Results

1. Sheng Lihao (People's Republic of China) - 252.2 (Gold)
2. Victor Lindgren (Sweden) - 251.4 (Silver)
3. Miran Maricic (Croatia) - 230.0 (Bronze)
4. Arjun Babuta (India) - 208.4
5. Danilo Dennis Sollazzo (Italy) - 187.4
6. Petar Gorsa (Croatia) - 165.6
7. Choe Daehan (Republic of Korea) - 145.2
8. Marcelo Julian Gutierrez (Argentina) - 122.8