Lima (Peru), Apr 16: Teenaged shooter Suruchi Inder Singh continued her stellar form by winning her second consecutive gold in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup, while India’s Paris Olympics medallist Manu Bhaker claimed the silver, ensuring India’s dominance in the competition.
The 18-year-old from Jhajjar, who had claimed her maiden World Cup gold in the season’s opening event, posted a score of 243.6 in the 24-shot final, finishing 1.3 points ahead of Manu. China’s Yao Qianxun secured the bronze medal.
The podium finish for both Suruchi and Manu helped India collect medals of all three colours on the day, with men’s 10m air pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary also winning bronze earlier. India’s impressive performance in the women’s 10m air pistol event placed the country at the top of the medal standings with three medals, ahead of China, which secured the men’s air pistol gold.
During the 60-shot qualification round, it was clear that Suruchi and Manu would comfortably make it to the finals. Suruchi finished second with a score of 582, while Manu was fourth with 578. Sainyam, the third Indian in the competition, ranked 11th with 571.
In the final, Suruchi’s consistency stood out as she quickly moved to second position after the first series of five shots. Yao initially led, with Manu sitting in fourth, closely followed by Uruguay’s Julieta Jimenez in third. As the final progressed, Suruchi maintained her momentum, while Meng Yufei of China faltered, allowing the Indian duo to take the lead.
Manu’s mid-to-low 9s on her 16th and 17th shots may have cost her the gold, as Suruchi emerged as the more consistent performer. With just two shots remaining, Suruchi was ahead of Manu by 0.7 points, and she secured the gold by scoring higher on her final shots.
This victory extends Suruchi’s sensational run, which began at the nationals in December last year. She had also won a mixed team bronze in the 10m air pistol event with Saurabh Chaudhary in Buenos Aires.
