Indian shooter Arjun Babuta narrowly missed out on securing a medal in the men’s 10m air rifle final, finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics. Babuta scored 208.4 points, just 1.4 points short of the bronze medal. Croatia’s Miran Maricic took third place with 209.8 points.
Babuta started strong, shooting a 10.7 and initially took the lead. His first 10 shots totaled 105.0 points, putting him in third place behind China’s Lihao Sheng with 105.8 points and Maricic with 105.1 points.
However, Babuta’s performance dropped with a 9.9 on his 13th shot and a 9.5 on his 20th and final shot, which led to him missing the podium.
Babuta reflected on his Olympics experience and shared his thoughts during the crucial shot, emphasising his focus on the process and technical aspects. Despite his best efforts, he missed, which kept him from securing a podium finish.
“A lot of thoughts were going through my mind while I was loading my weapon; expectations were there. I was talking to myself, telling myself that I just needed to focus on the process. I had to deliver this shot with the hundred per cent that I know, and that this might be my last shot,” Arjun said.
Arjun said he was concentrating on one shot at a time and intended to maintain that approach. However, after missing the shot, neither he nor his support staff could pinpoint the reason.
“I don’t know why it went out; I have no idea, and no one else does either, including my coaches and the other support staff,” he stated.
When asked about the importance of skill versus handling pressure at the Olympic level, Arjun highlighted the need for both.
He said, “Technically, you’re fine because you’ve reached that level. You’ve competed in four Olympic trials and got selected for the Olympics, but I think we need to maintain that technical aspect and focus more on other aspects, such as being mentally aware, keeping ourselves away from social media, and staying in the present with the process, planning, and execution.”
(AFP photo)
Arjun also cautioned to steer clear of distractions in the Olympic environment. “I would emphasise managing everything around that aura, because there’s a lot of ‘chaka chaund’ during that time (Olympics). You just need to stay away from all those distractions,” the 25-year-old advised.
Arjun shared his mantra: “We just need to focus on the process and leave expectations and results aside.”
The event was a disappointment for Arjun, but he found solace in knowing he gave his best. “I had given my hundred per cent for that shot too (last shot),” he expressed.
Babuta will now shift focus to the ISSF World Cup Finals at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi from October 13-18. This event will include top pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooters aiming to be the year’s best.
ISSF World Cup Finals participants include medalists from the 12 individual shooting events at the Paris Olympics and title winners from last year’s event in Doha, Qatar.
The top six shooters in the ISSF World Cup rankings will also compete, with no more than two shooters per country in each event. India, as the host nation, are allowed to give wildcard entries.