Buenos Aires [Argentina], April 8 (ANI):
Day six of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Argentina 2025 marked the arrival of a new shooting sensation, as Indian teenager Suruchi claimed a stunning gold in the women’s 10m air pistol, making it India’s third gold medal of the tournament.
In a fiercely contested eight-woman final featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, Suruchi shot an impressive 244.6 to win gold—2.7 points ahead of China’s Qian Wei, while Chinese legend Jiang Ranxin, former Olympic champion and double Tokyo medalist, had to settle for bronze.
Suruchi had already turned heads earlier in the day during qualifications, topping the leaderboard with a score of 583. She outperformed a stacked lineup that included Zorana Arunovic (Serbia), Doreen Vennekamp (Germany), Veronika Major (Hungary), Jiang Ranxin, Qian Wei, and India’s own Manu Bhaker.
Manu, despite a stellar third series of 100, ended 11th overall with 574, while fellow Indian shooter Sainyam shot 572 to finish 13th.
The final began with Qian Wei firing a 10.9, setting a high benchmark. Suruchi started slightly slower with a 10.1 and slipped outside the podium places after the first 10 shots. But with steely determination, she surged into the lead after her 13th shot, firing a string of 10.7s and 10.8s under pressure.
Fending off a late challenge from the trio of Chinese shooters, Suruchi closed the final with nerves of steel, her last four shots reading 10.1, 10.7, 10.8, and 10.0 to clinch her first ISSF medal, and that too gold.
Suruchi’s Final Shot Breakdown (Total: 244.6):
10.1, 10.8, 9.7, 9.3, 10.0, 10.8, 10.7, 10.5, 10.1, 8.9, 10.7, 10.8, 10.1, 10.3, 10.3, 10.4, 9.7, 9.8, 10.6, 9.4, 10.1, 10.7, 10.8, 10.0
The young shooter from Haryana now stands as a rising star on the global stage, defeating a field of decorated champions and setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting international career.
India continues to shine at the ISSF World Cup, with this victory reaffirming its growing dominance in the shooting sports arena. (ANI)
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