The team had already created history by entering the semi-finals of the Summer Games for the first time.
India’s Ankita Bhakat (left) and Dhiraj Bommadevara during their mixed team bronze medal encounter against USA yesterday. Pic/PTI
The history-making Indian mixed team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara came agonisingly close to ending India’s 36-year wait for an Olympic medal in archery, but fell short to finish fourth here on Friday. The team had already created history by entering the semi-finals of the Summer Games for the first time.
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But the duo lost 37-38, 35-37, 38-34, 35-37 to the American combine of World No.1 Casey Kaufhold and three-time Olympic-medallist Brady Ellison to join the fourth-finishers’ club at the Olympics. It was nonetheless the best-ever performance by an Indian team in the quadrennial showpiece.
Ankita felt the pressure the most as she fired two 7s and could manage only a couple of 10s in the course of the four sets. Trailing 0-4, the Indians did well to make a comeback as Ankita struck a superb 10. All four Indian arrows were in the yellow zone, while Casey looked a bit nervous firing a 7 with her first arrow before a 9 and 10. But the Indians did enough to take the third set.
While the 22-year-old Dhiraj was more consistent, shooting as many as four 10s, Ankita, who was exceptional against the Koreans in the semi-finals, produced a below-par performance, including a couple of 8s, which eventually cost India the contest. Earlier in the semi-final, Dhiraj and Ankita had gone down 2-6 (lost 38-36, 35-38, 37-38, 38-39) to defending champions South Korea.
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Indians in action today
Shooting
25m pistol women’s final: Manu Bhaker… 13:00
Skeet women’s qualification - Day 1: Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan… 12:30
Archery
Women’s individual 1/8 elimination round: Deepika Kumari v Michelle Kroppen (Germany)… 13:52
Women’s individual 1/8 elimination round: Bhajan Kaur v Diananda Choirunisa (Indonesia)… 14:05
Sailing
Men’s Dinghy - Race 5: Vishnu Saravanan… 15:45
Women’s Dinghy - Race 5: Nethra Kumanan… 17:55
Boxing
Men’s Welterweight (quarter-finals): Nishant Dev v Marco Verde (Mexico)... 00.18 (Sunday)
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