Focused On Breathing, Didn’t Look At Leaderboard, Says Swapnil After Bronze Win

CHATEAUROUX, (IANS) – Shooter Swapnil Kusale added a third medal to India’s tally, winning a bronze medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions at the Paris Olympics here on August 1. The 28-year-old said he kept his breath in control and did not glance at the leaderboard during his final.

Kusale also became the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal in the Men’s 50m 3 Position event.

Kusale shot a score of 451.4, to finish behind China’s Yukun Liu (gold) and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish (silver). He ended seventh in the qualification round with a total score of 590.

“I feel great. I was a little nervous and my heart was still racing. Ultimately, it’s a sport and I’m proud to have brought home a bronze for India,” Kusale said after clinching a medal for the country.

“I didn’t target anything and just focused solely on my breathing. I was not looking at the leaderboard and sticking to what I’d been practicing for many years. I was also neglecting the leaderboard announcement as I only wanted the Indian fans to make noise. It was making me feel good and I wanted to see them happy,” he added.

The man from Kolhapur felt short on words to express his feelings about holding the medal in his hands but remained committed to being grounded.

“I’m not sure if I’ll feel different when I have the medal in my hands. I feel something inside, but I’m just used to staying grounded,” he said.

Detailing his mindset in the final, Kusale said he kept things simple and didn’t focus on minimum points in any event.

“In my mind, I wasn’t targeting any particular points in each event and was focusing on procedures and kept on doing them. I didn’t see anything else and I’m proud of that,” he said.

About his routine before the final on August 1, Kusale said he did not have anything to eat.

“There were butterflies in my stomach, so I just had black tea (before the final). I love drinking tea, but I can’t have it, so I drank black tea. Every time, before the match, I chant God’s name,” the Indian shooter added.