Blurb: Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil bronze as India secured a double podium in the men’s 10m Air Rifle final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Nagoya
India produced a strong performance in the men’s 10m Air Rifle final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, securing two medals as Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze after an intense eight-shooter contest.
China’s reigning Olympic champion Sheng Lihao took gold with a Games Record score of 254.2 points, successfully defending his title. Himanshu finished second with 252.4 points, while Rudrankksh secured third with 230.9.
Rudrankksh made an impressive start to the final, leading the field after the opening 10 shots with 106.0 points. Sheng was second on 104.9, followed closely by Himanshu at 104.8.
As the elimination rounds began, the Indian shooters remained firmly in medal contention. Rudrankksh continued to occupy the top position, while Himanshu produced a series of high scores, including successive 10.9s, to move into second.
Sheng gradually narrowed the gap before taking the lead. With four shooters remaining, India was assured of a double podium after Mongolia’s Bayaraa Nyantai was eliminated. Sheng led with 211.6, followed by Rudrankksh at 210.6 and Himanshu at 210.0.
The battle for silver and bronze then became an all-Indian contest. Himanshu moved ahead after shooting a 10.8, while Rudrankksh dropped to third following a 9.7. Rudrankksh responded with a 10.6, but Himanshu maintained his advantage with a 10.4.
Sheng sealed gold with a final 10.6, while Himanshu held on for silver and Rudrankksh completed the podium.
