Paris 2024 Olympic selection trials: Manu, Anish on course for second successive trials win

Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala set themselves on course for a second successive win in the ongoing Olympic Selection Trials 1 & 2, topping their respective qualification rounds at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range here on Sunday.

Manu shot an aggregate of 585 in the women’s 25m pistol in T2 qualification to lead the five-woman field into the final in pole position. The Olympian had won the T1 trials on Saturday.

Esha Singh followed her in second with 581, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar was third with 577.

Abhidnya Ashok Patil with 572 and Rhythm Sangwan, the second Paris Olympic quota holder in the field along with Manu, with 566, brought up the rear.

In the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol T2, odds-on favourite Bhanwala continued to dominate proceedings, topping the qualification round with a score of 582.

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His fellow Paris quota holder Vijayveer Sidhu was second with 580, while Bhavesh Shekhawat was third on the same score as Vijayveer, but with lesser inner 10s.

Ankur Goel (573) and Adarsh Singh (571), barring a miracle in the final two trials in Bhopal, look out of the reckoning.

As things stand, Manu and Esha in the women’s pistol and Anish and Vijayveer in the men’s RFP are likely to take the flight to Paris from these events.