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Palak Gulia, the 18-year-old Indian shooter, finished third in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship in Rio de Janeiro. With this, Palak secured India's last Paris Olympics quota in pistol shooting.
Armenia's Elmira Karapetyan won gold in the event. Thai teenager Kamonlak Saencha took silver and secured the second quota place.
When asked about the feeling of qualifying for the Olympics at the age of 18, Palak told reporters:
“I don't want to imagine (experiencing the Paris Olympics). I just want to focus on my training and we will see how it goes."
Palak Gulia expresses gratitude for the support
Palak expressed gratitude for the support of those around her and emphasized the importance of focusing on training.
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“I feel good. It is possible because of the dedication and hard work everyone around me put in along with me,” Palak said.
When asked about the pressure of coming into Rio knowing there was just one spot left, Palak remarked:
“We knew coming into this tournament that there was only one spot left and we had to get it. I am thankful I was able to secure quota in this match.”
This marks her first individual senior medal at an international event, a significant achievement in her career.
“It is my first medal in the ISSF category. It is a big achievement for me,” concluded Palak.
Despite a shaky start, Palak showed nerves of steel and climbed up the leaderboard to eventually finish with a score of 217.6. This quota is India's 20th in shooting for the Paris Olympics, with eight quotas in pistol shooting. India has secured all 16 quotas in rifle and pistol shooting and four in shotguns, making it the largest shooting contingent for the Olympic Games.
Sainyam and Surbhi Rao also competed in the shooting competition, with Sainyam finishing in fifth place in the final round. Both the shooters initially struggled in the final round but made a comeback under pressure.
