Mumbai: Shortly after Rudrankksh Patil was narrowly defeated by Sandeep Singh during the Paris Olympics selection trials held in Bhopal last year, Patil was seen walking around with a smile on his face.

For a world champion and former world No.1 in rifle shooting, who was expected to secure one of the two available spots from the trials, missing the opportunity to compete in the Olympics would have been a significant disappointment. Nevertheless, the young athlete remained composed, viewing it merely as a minor setback in the long journey toward the Olympics.

Bouncing back from that disappointment, Patil has embarked on a new Olympic cycle with impressive momentum, clinching the gold medal in the 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

His trademark smile returned as he showcased his medal on the podium, along with his exceptional shooting skills.

From the first shot to the last in the eight-man final, which included Paris Olympian Arjun Babuta, who finished in seventh place, Patil maintained control and established a comfortable lead. He concluded the event with a score of 252.9, surpassing silver medalist Istvan Marton Peni of Hungary, who scored 251.7, and bronze medalist Marcelo Julian Gutierrez of Argentina, who scored 230.1.

“I’m feeling really nice. It’s been a long journey,” Patil expressed to ISSF. “This is the first World Cup after the Olympics. I’m pleased that I was able to perform at my level and bring home the gold.”

The 21-year-old from India began with a score of 10.7 and finished with a 10.8, achieving a score of 10.9 (the highest in air rifle) three times during the 24-shot final. With the exception of a single 9.9 in his 19th shot, he consistently shot in the high 10s.

This level of performance is what earned Patil the title of 2022 world champion in air rifle, securing India a quota for the Paris Games. He also won World Cup gold in Cairo and bronze in Bhopal in 2023, rising to the top of the rankings. The young talent from Thane was making significant progress toward his first Olympic appearance until he encountered the trials obstacle that set him back to square one.

"This medal was crucial for him to return to that level," stated Deepali Deshpande, the chief coach of India's rifle team, from Buenos Aires. "Not qualifying for Paris was a setback for him. Like many shooters who missed their chance during the trials, he is still quite young, and such setbacks can significantly impact their self-esteem."

However, Patil quickly moved past this disappointment. He lost some weight, adjusted his equipment, and decided to explore the 50m rifle three positions event, getting back into form. He demonstrated impressive performance during the national selection trials in New Delhi in February and carried that momentum into the first World Cup of the year in Argentina.

Patil achieved a commendable score of 633.7 in the qualification round, surpassed only by Babuta, who scored 634.5 and had finished fourth at the Olympics.

Once he delivered an outstanding first five-shot series in the final (53.2), it became evident that Patil was the frontrunner. After 16 shots and the elimination of Babuta, he held a notable one-point lead over his Hungarian and Argentine competitors. This meant that even with a score of 9.9 on his 19th shot, Patil remained significantly ahead of the others.

His ability to maintain composure throughout the final, especially in front of a boisterous local crowd cheering for their bronze medallist Gutierrez after each shot, was particularly impressive.

"Given that the Argentine shooter was performing exceptionally well, the crowd was extremely enthusiastic," Deepali remarked. "In this venue, there is very little distance between the shooters and the audience. The Argentine shooter was firing quickly, which caused the crowd to erupt while the others were still taking their shots. However, Patil exhibited patience, allowing the noise to settle before he took his shots. It was a display of intelligent shooting and remarkable focus."

When asked about the crowd's influence on his performance, Patil smiled and said, "That was the enjoyable aspect of this final."

Read Also: Mohammed Siraj’s Scorching Spell Turns Heads, Internet Theories Swirl

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!