ISSF World C'ship Rifle/Pistol: India add two silvers as Aishwary, Esha-Samrat shine

New Delhi [India], November 11 : Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar not only equalled a world record, but also won a first-ever individual world championship medal at the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol, settling for silver in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) final at the Olympic Shooting range in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

The two-time Olympian shot 466.9 in the 45-shot final to finish behind China's reigning Olympic champion Liu Yukun, who ended 0.2 ahead with 467.1. Newly crowned air pistol world champion Samrat Rana and Olympian and defending champion Esha Singh, also won silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team competition, after they went down 10-16 in the gold medal match to China's Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao, as per a press release from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

The developments mean India still rank second behind China in the medal tally with three gold, five silver and three bronze medals in their kitty. China has eight golds and a total of 14 medals so far.

Aishwary, the reigning and two-time Asian champion, shot like a dream throughout the day, scoring an astonishing 200/200 in the Kneeling position of the qualification round and followed that up with yet another perfect 200 in the second Prone position.

He lost just three points in the Standing position to end up with a tally of 597 and top the 66-strong field. It also matched the men's 3P qualification world record score, hitherto jointly held by Liu and his fellow Chinese Linshu Du. Niraj Kumar, the second Indian in the field, also qualified fifth with a score of 592.

In the eight-man final, Aishwary had a poor start by his standards on the day, an 8.6 for his sixth Kneeling shot setting him back early. The recovery began in the favourite Prone position, and a defining series of 53.3, 52.7 and 52.7 respectively, enabled a surge up to second, just 0.2 behind leader Liu.

Teammate Niraj's fortunes went the other way as after being fourth at the end of the Kneeling position, he went down to sixth going into the final Standing position and although he managed to cover some ground, he would finish a credible fifth in his first ever worlds final.

The Swede Madsen and one of two Norwegian heavyweights Halvorsen, were the first casualties at the 40-shot mark when eliminations began, with the difference between Liu and Tomar remaining at 0.2.

The lead then alternated between the Indian and the Chinese, and going into the final shot, Tomar had the slightest advantage.

As Liu fired a 10.1, Tomar needed a 10.2 or more to win gold, but a 9.8, meant the Olympic Champion was also crowned World Champion. Young and talented Frenchman Romain Aufrere won bronze.

In the second final of the day, the 10m air pistol mixed team, India's top pair of Esha and Samrat, did exceedingly well to top qualifications with a combined effort of 586, with both shooting identical scores of 293. The second Indian pair of Suruchi and Shravan Kumar shot 579 to end in eighth position.

Esha and Samrat were up against it, however, as they faced Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao of China in the gold medal match, the world numbers one and two individually and in-form, having won silver and gold respectively in the individual event on Monday.

The race to 16 points lasted for 13 rounds, and both pairs were tied at nine points apiece after nine rounds. The Chinese then took the next three rounds, and despite India tying the 13th, the match could not be salvaged.

Esha had won the event with Shiva Narwal in the last worlds and also had to forfeit her crown, whereas Rana ended his first-ever worlds with an unprecedented two golds and one silver medal.

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