India secured a double podium in the men’s 10m air rifle at the Asian Games on Monday, with Himanshu Dhillon winning silver and Rudrankksh Patil claiming bronze after an intense final.
Himanshu finished with 252.4 points, while Rudrankksh scored 230.9 to take third place. China’s reigning Olympic champion Sheng Lihao won the gold with a Games Record score of 254.2, successfully defending his title.
Both Indians remained in medal contention throughout the eight-shooter final, with Rudrankksh making a strong start. He led the field after the opening 10 shots with 106.0 points, ahead of Sheng (104.9) and Himanshu (104.8).
The Indian duo continued to occupy the top two positions as the elimination rounds began. Rudrankksh retained the lead, while Himanshu produced a series of high scores, including successive 10.9s, to move into second.
The lead changed hands several times as Sheng steadily closed the gap. Rudrankksh remained atop the standings after the second elimination, with Himanshu third, before the Chinese shooter moved into first place.
With four shooters remaining, India was assured of two medals after Mongolia’s Bayaraa Nyantai was eliminated. Sheng led with 211.6 points, followed by Rudrankksh on 210.6 and Himanshu on 210.0.
The battle for silver and bronze then became an all-Indian contest behind Sheng. Himanshu moved clear of Rudrankksh after scoring 10.8, while Rudrankksh managed 9.7 to slip to third.
Rudrankksh responded with a 10.6 on the elimination shot, but Himanshu held his position with a 10.4. Sheng sealed the gold with a final 10.6 to finish with a Games Record 254.2.
Himanshu had reduced Sheng’s lead to 1.8 points with his penultimate shot and eventually finished second with 252.4. Rudrankksh’s total of 230.9 secured the bronze.
The result gave India two medals from the men’s 10m air rifle final and added to the country’s shooting campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
(IANS Inputs)
