Mehuli Ghosh won a bronze medal and sealed a Paris Olympics quota place for India in women's 10m air rifle at the ongoing shooting World Championship at Baku on Saturday. However, 15-year-old Tilottama Sen finished fourth, falling just short of a medal.
The 22-year-old from Kolkata, along with Sen and Ramita, also won the women's 10m air rifle team competition with a combined total of 1895.9, ahead of China who totalled 1893.7.
Ghosh shot 229.8 in the final to ensure a podium finish behind Chinese duo Jiayu Han (251.4) and Zhilin Wang (250.2). The top three shooters are guaranteed Olympic quota places.
The Indian women's Air Rifle team comprising (from left) Tilottama Sen, Mehuli Ghosh & Ramita also won gold 🥇 in the team competition at the Baku Shooting World Championship. Congratulations!!!🔥🔥🔥🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/ZmpLTnqJdv
- NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) August 19, 2023
Ghosh had a stellar qualification round as well, topping the 140-strong field with a score of 634.5, while the eventual gold winner Han was third with a score of 632.3 and silver winner Wang was eighth and last with an aggregate of 630.8.
"I was very excited and nervous for the final. In-fact I can still feel the nerves. There was very little difference between each one of us. It was very exciting and I am happy with the result," Ghosh said after the final.
So far, India have won three Paris quota places through Rudrankksh Patil (men's 10m air rifle Men), Swapnil Kusale (men's 50m rifle 3 positions) and Bhowneesh Mendiratta (men's trap).
India finished the day with two gold and two bronze medals and in third place on the medal tally behind leaders China and second placed USA, who have two golds and one silver.
Other results
In the day's other results, Divyansh Singh Panwar was the top Indian finisher in the men's 10m air rifle at 28th place with a qualification score of 627.5. Aishwary Tomar was further back in 33rd with 627.3 while Hriday Hazarika finished 68th with 623.6.
In the men's skeet, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa shot 121 in qualification for only a 29th place finish. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka shot 120 to finish 44th while Gurjoat Khangura was further back in 95th with a score of 115.
With PTI Inputs