Thailand’s Thongphaphum Vongsukdee earned a Paris 2024 quota place today in qualifying for the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final at the Asian Olympic qualifier in Jakarta – and amplified his achievement with bronze as India added another gold and silver to its collection.
Also entering the final in the knowledge that he had secured a quota for his country – 12 years after competing himself at the London Games – was Mongolia’s 32-year-old Bayaraa Nyantai.
In the only senior final on Day Five, the Asian title was won by India’s world silver medallist Akhil Sheoran, who totalled 460.2 points, with his compatriot Aishwary Tomar earning silver on 459.0.
“I’m still in shock at even getting a quota place, never mind a medal,” Vongsukdee, pictured right, told ISSF TV after an event that had taken place in hot and humid conditions.
He shrugged off occasional problems with his target that had occurred during the prone and standing phases, when he experienced delays in his shots being registered in the scoring. “It wasn’t my problem, it was a technical problem. I can’t do anything about that.”
Vongsukdee looked for a while as if he might even add a title to his Olympic place as he took over the lead after the first round of standing shooting, having been close behind the winner of the kneeling and prone elements, Kazakhstan’s Konstantin Malinovskiy.
The 24-year-old from Phathomtani, who had won men’s team gold and mixed team bronze in an ISSF grand prix event at the same venue two years earlier, totalled 410.0 at that point, with Sheoran second on 409.3.
And after the Indian shooter had moved ahead in the next elimination round, Vongsukdee responded with a series that restored him to the top place by a margin of 0.3 points.
But Sheoran was not to be denied, and a 10.5 in the fourth round restored him to a lead he never lost as Vongsukdee dipped to a 9.7.
The Thai’s shooter’s next effort of 9.1 meant he was eliminated – but with high honour, and a place on the podium guaranteed, as Tomar moved past him.
“It’s cold in India right now, so competing in these conditions took a bit of adjustment,” Sheoran told ISSF TV. “But we knew how to control ourselves mentally and to focus on our technique.
“We were quite confident coming into this Championship because of the way Indian shooters performed in 2023.”
Nyantai, who competed at the 10m air rifle, 50m rifle prone and 50m rifle 3 positions at the London 2012 Games, was the first of the eight shooters to be eliminated.
Malinovskiy dropped to fifth eventually, with fourth place going to the Chinese athlete who had topped qualifying, Yu Hao.
India’s Swapnil Kusale finished sixth, confirming team gold for his country, and seventh place went to China’s Miao Yufeng.
Kusale had secured India’s first Olympic quota place in this event at the 2022 World Championships in Cairo, and Sheoran earned the second available slot in taking silver at last year’s World Championships in Baku.
Competition at the Asia Rifle/Pistol Championship 2024 in Jakarta continues tomorrow with the final day of Olympic events, featuring the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions and the men’s rapid fire 25m pistol events.
