Manu Bhaker took only two sips of water during the entire 10m air pistol final—one right before her first shot and the other when she was assured of a medal.
Throughout the event on Sunday, Manu maintained a composed demeanor, steady shooting, and a focused mind. Unlike previous instances where Indian shooters struggled under high stakes, Manu’s unwavering composure in the final was a refreshing change. This performance earned her and India a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a score of 221.7 in a highly competitive final.
The only moment Manu showed any emotion was when, despite shooting a 10.3 on her 22nd shot, Kim Yeji scored a 10.5, pushing Manu to settle for bronze. Manu smirked briefly before heading back to her chair, assured of her medal. Koreans Oh Ye Jin (243.2) and Kim Yeji (241.3) secured the gold and silver, with Oh setting an Olympic record.
From the start of the qualification rounds on Saturday to securing the bronze on Sunday, Manu’s mental composure matched her consistent performance. Unlike other shooters who quietly celebrated with their coaches after the rigorous qualifications, Manu remained consistently calm.
“Last night, the moment today’s thoughts came into my mind, I was like, dekha jayega (we’ll see),” Manu said.
Sunday mirrored Saturday in both mindset and outcome.
Recently, Manu had often struggled to convert strong qualification rounds into final victories. At last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, she set a world record in qualification but faltered in the final, raising questions about her ability to handle high-pressure situations.
Manu answered those doubts emphatically at these Olympics. Her first shot, a 10.6, set the tone, and the next 21 shots demonstrated sustained excellence. Manu never dropped out of the top three, consistently hitting 10s with occasional 9s, even as silver medallist Yeji sometimes shot 8s.
Manu remained unfazed, even when she shot three consecutive 9s between the 13th and 15th shots, or when the cheers from Indian supporters grew louder with each of her shots.
She attributed her mental strength to reading the Gita the previous night and repeating a famous quote from it: “Arjun, karm pe dhyan do, phal ki chinta mat karo (focus on the work, don’t worry about the reward). This was running in my mind from last night. I told myself no matter what happens, I’ll handle it,” Manu said.
“I didn’t wake up thinking whether I would win a medal or not. But I was adamant about one thing, that at no point should I think: ab nahi ho raha hai yaar (it’s no longer happening now).”
The Tokyo Games failure taught the then-teenager, now 22-year-old, many lessons about not being overly focused on results and staying true to her personality. She has since become more spiritual, believing in a guiding and protective energy.
“I do believe a lot now that there is some energy which is guiding and protecting us. And there is an aura around us which feels that energy,” she said.
Within the shooting range, the presence of her coach, Jaspal Rana, provides her strength. Reunited with Rana, Manu says just seeing him gives her courage. She made sure to look at him amidst the crowd on Sunday.
“I had figured out where he was sitting, and I was making sure I was only looking at him and nobody else,” she said. “I definitely owe a lot to him too for making this happen.”
Manu’s experience in Tokyo, despite its challenges, also played a crucial role. Her shooting career had started off rapidly, and experiencing a setback was a surprise. “Kahi na kahi, meri hi laparwahi hogi,” she reflected.
From her first Olympics to her second, Manu learned to take a step back and then move forward, carrying lessons from Tokyo.
“I believe that if you can’t win something, you should take lessons from it, which in turn improves you going forward,” she said. “Now, I understand the value of this, and the kind of hard work and effort it takes to get here.”
For now, that place was on the 10m air pistol podium as the bronze medalist and India’s first medalist of the 2024 Paris Games. There may be more successes to come.