How did Saurabh Chaudhary perform at Tokyo Olympics? A detailed look at the Indian shooter's performance at the previous Olympic Games

Young Indian shooter Saurabh Chaudhary displayed his prowess at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing seventh in the men’s 10m air pistol event held at the Asaka Shooting Range. He got off to a slow start and had a score of 96.8 after the initial 10 shots.

During the first elimination stage tie-break, he shot 10.2 to surpass South Korea’s Kim Mose. In a critical shootout for sixth place, he shot 10.6 and 9.8 and ultimately scored a total of 137.4.

However, after crashing out of Tokyo, Saurabh Chaudhary failed to make it to Paris Olympics 2024. He also did not make the cut for the World Championships and the Asian Games.

He ended 203rd in the National Championships with a score of 569. He scored 557 in the National Games, the lowest among the 56 shooters in the 10m air pistol listed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in December.

In the NRAI's provisional 10m air pistol rankings issued in December 2023, Chaudhary was ranked 35th out of 56 shooters. Formerly regarded as the successor to the nickname 'Gold Finger' bestowed by the pistol great Samresh Jung, he has been forced out of the squad due poor performance.

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Saurabh Chaudhary's journey to Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The Meerut-born shooter has left an indelible mark in various notable competitions. He clinched a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires with a shot of 244.2 when he was just 16 years old.

Saurabh Chaudhary claimed a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the 10 m Air Pistol, becoming the youngest Indian gold medalist in the history of the continental multi-sport event. His achievement also includes a junior world record at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.

Additionally, he holds the distinction of being the sole Indian shooter to achieve gold medals in the ISSF World Championship, ISSF World Cup, Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games, and Asian Air Gun Championship.

During the 2018 World Championship in Changwon, Korea, Saurabh Chaudhary broke his own world record with a score of 245.5 and secured gold in Junior Men 10m Air Pistol. He last won a gold medal at the National Shooting Championship in the men's 10-metre air pistol category in 2020.