Paris Olympics: Arjun Babuta Misses Medal By Whisker, Finishes 4th in Men’s 10m Air Rifle

Paris: Indian shooter Arjun Babuta narrowly missed a medal in his debut Olympics on Monday, finishing fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle event.

Despite a promising start and strong early scores, Babuta, 25, was unable to sustain his form under pressure.

Arjun Babuta finishes 4th. Was very close to a medal finish, but a great effort nonetheless! 👏🏽👏🏽#JeetKiAur | #Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/DmQjyw5WSO

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) July 29, 2024

Babuta began the final with scores of 10.7, 10.2, and 10.5, placing him fourth. He briefly moved to third with a 10.4 but ended the first series with a 10.6. During the second series, Babuta posted impressive scores including a near-perfect 10.8, which propelled him into second place and closed the gap to world record holder Sheng Lihao to just 0.1 points.

However, his performance faltered in the final stages. A 9.5, coupled with Croatia’s Miran Maricic’s strong 10.7, hindered Babuta’s chances of a podium finish. Ultimately, Babuta’s total score of 208.4 fell short of a medal.

Sheng Lihao of China won gold with a new Olympic record of 252.2, while Sweden’s Victor Lindgren earned silver with 251.4. Croatia’s Miran Maricic claimed bronze with a score of 230.