Who will be the key medal contenders in Manu Bhaker’s shooting events – 10m air pistol, 25m sports pistol?

Manu Bhaker will yet again be one of India’s brightest medal prospects come Paris 2024.

It became evident early on that Bhaker was destined for great things. At the age of 16, she had become the first Indian shooter and the first female athlete from India to win a gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

But she lost out on an opportunity to win a medal at her maiden senior Olympic outing in Tokyo 2020 due to a weapon malfunction.

The 22-year-old, who will be hoping for a reversal of fortunes at Châteauroux, is set to feature across three starts: 10m air pistol mixed team, individual 10m air pistol and individual 25m sports pistol.

Bhaker’s path to the podium will, however, be beset with difficulties. Here are some key medal contenders from her events:

1. Jiang Ranxin (CHN) [women’s 10m air pistol individual and team]

China’s Jiang Ranxin takes aim during the 10m Air Pistol Women’s Pre-event Training at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
| Photo Credit:
MANISH SWARUP/AP

There are few who would make Bhaker look over her shoulder. Ranxin definitely ranks high on that list. Not just Manu, she would be the cause of many a nightmare.

Ranxin is the current Olympic (587) and World (591) qualification record holder in the discipline. In Tokyo 2020, Ranxin won the mixed 10m air pistol team gold with Pang Wei. She also won the bronze in the women’s individual round with a score of 218.0.

Additionally, she has won four World Championship gold medals – Women’s 10m air pistol (2023), Women’s 50m pistol (2022), Women’s 10m air pistol team (2022), mixed 50m pistol team (2022).

2. Doreen Vennekamp (GER) [women’s 25m pistol]

Doreen Vennekamp of Germany poses with her ISSF World Cup silver medal at the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy in Bhopal.
| Photo Credit:
FARUQUI AM/The Hindu

Vennekamp, who couldn’t medal in Tokyo, will be raring to go this time around.

The World No. 1 in 25m sports pistol has built up quite the resume since her last Olympic outing, having won the Worlds gold in Baku in 2023. She also owns the mixed 25m Standard Pistol Team Worlds gold.

Her profile boasts of one World Cup Final and three World Cup gold medals after her seventh-place finish in Tokyo 2020.

For her achievements, she was named the ISSF Female Athlete of the Year in 2023.