Swapnil Kusale: A Remarkable Olympic Journey to a Historic Bronze

Swapnil Kusale made history by landing a bronze medal in the 50m rifle three positions event at the Olympics. After narrowly missing out on Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Kusale secured a quota for Paris 2024 and displayed unwavering focus and remarkable consistency to achieve this milestone, making his mark in Indian shooting history.

Swapnil Kusale achieved a historic milestone at the Olympics, clinching a bronze medal in the 50m rifle three positions event. Kusale’s journey to this achievement has been marked by perseverance and dedication, starting his shooting career in 2009 and making his international debut in 2012, but missing out on Olympic berths in 2016 and 2020.

In preparation for the Paris Games, Kusale secured a quota place for India with a fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Championships. His consistent performance continued through domestic trials. Kusale, whose father once took a loan to buy his first rifle, described the emotional and mentally demanding path to his Olympic debut.

Despite the pressure, Kusale kept his focus during the final, ignoring scores and concentrating on his breathing and shooting. With the support of his family, coach, and national coach Manoj Kumar, who advised reading the Gita, Kusale’s hard work paid off. Upcoming promises to chase gold speak volumes about his future ambitions.