India pistol shooter Palak bags 20th Paris Olympic quota

Palak Gulia

Reigning Asian Games champion Palak Gulia bagged the 20th Paris Olympic quota place in shooting for the country, clinching the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Rifle and Pistol) in Rio De Janeiro on Sunday.

Gulia, 18, from Jhajjar, Haryana, who had won an individual gold and team silver in the 10m air pistol at the Hangzhou Asian Games, overcame a slow start in the 24-shot final, climbed steadily up the leaderboard and ended up scoring 217.6. She eventually bowed out after the 22nd shot to settle for third place. Armenia's Elmira Karapetyan won gold, while Thai teenager Kamonlak Saencha clinched the silver and the second available quota place. India have now clinched a maximum of 16 Paris Olympic spots available to a country in pistol and rifle events.

The country's shotgun shooters can still earn four Paris berths in men's and women's trap and skeet events at when the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Shotgun) commences in Doha on April 19.

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