Olympics: Debacle in Tokyo to History in Paris—Manu Bhaker’s Redemption Story

Paris Olympics 2024: Manu Bhaker.

Image: Olympics/Altered by The Quint

Within a space of just two days, history was scripted, thrice—On Sunday, Manu Bhaker clinched a bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 and the first Indian female shooter to medal at the Olympics.

By Tuesday, alongside Sarabjot Singh, she struck bronze again in the 10m Air Pistol Team event, making her the first Indian since independence to win two Olympic medals in the same edition.

And she’s just 22. But hold on, the story doesn't end there. Manu’s journey is a mosaic of achievements that will leave you in awe.

Image: X/ManuBhaker

How many athletes can master multiple sports and shine in them all? Manu can. She is one of those rare gems. Until the age of 14, she was not only excelling in Huyen langlon—a traditional Manipuri martial art—but also racking up national medals in boxing, tennis, and skating.

So, when did she pivot to shooting? It was the Rio Olympics in 2016 that ignited her passion for the sport, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Manu’s Meteoric Rise

Just a year into her shooting journey, Manu began to reveal her extraordinary talent—she stunned the shooting world by outshining Olympian Heena Sidhu with nine gold medals whilst setting a record in the 10m Air Pistol final at the 2017 National Shooting Championships.

Yet, it wasn’t until she dazzled the world with a Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 that her name truly began to echo. She continued her meteoric rise by winning gold at the 2018 Youth Olympics—becoming the first Indian shooter and the first female athlete from India to secure gold there—and claimed victory in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico.

By February 2019, she was on a roll, capturing gold in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi. Her fourth-place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup later that year sealed her place in the Tokyo Olympics.

Heartbreak in Tokyo

Tokyo was a crucible of trials for Manu. At just 19, she faced immense pressure and scrutiny. A malfunction with her gun marred her performance, and she found herself unfairly blamed for India’s shortcomings at the 2020 Summer Games, earning the harsh label of “choker.”

To compound her woes, she endured a public fallout with her coach, Jaspal Rana—the very mentor who has now guided her to two Olympic medals—leaving her debut Olympics cloaked in deep disappointment.

India's hopes weren't pinned on Manu alone. Among the 15 shooters the country fielded, Saurabh Chaudhary, Manu’s mixed team partner, was also a major medal prospect. He reached the finals as the top qualifier, only to see his campaign end in heartbreak, exacerbated by a coach dispute similar to Manu's.

What sets these two shooting stars apart? Manu, once on the brink, staged a remarkable comeback to the sport, while Saurabh remains on the sidelines. After the Tokyo debacle, Manu even contemplated quitting, but her story was far from over. It seemed she was destined to turn the tide and pursue Olympic glory.

“After Tokyo, I was very disappointed, and how the events turned out to be for me were not very good. It took me a long time to overcome that. However, I came back stronger,” Manu reflected after her bronze in Paris. “So what is now is what matters. Let's just let the past remain in the past.

Shortly after the 2020 Summer Games, Manu clinched the junior world champion title in the women’s 10m air pistol at Lima. She followed it with a silver in the women’s 25m pistol at the 2022 Cairo World Championships, and then a gold in the same event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Do Your Work, Results Will Follow

"Do your work - the hard yards - the result will come," Manu repeated each time she stood atop the podium in Paris. It was a mantra shaped by her struggles post-Tokyo and the relentless effort she poured into this comeback.

Reflecting on her journey after winning her second bronze in Paris, Manu said, “After the experience in Tokyo, I realise how special winning this is.

This (bronze medal today) is part of the dream; one part is in the bag and the other one is with me here. An athlete, when he plays for India, his dream is to win a medal at the Olympics and that was my dream as well. And, I would want to win as many medals as possible in the Olympics.

Manu Bhaker

Image: X

Even with two medals already under her belt and a place in the history books secured, Manu’s hunger for more is palpable. On Friday, she will return to the shooting range, eyeing a third medal in her specialty—the 25m pistol individual event.

Aiming a Hat-trick in Paris

Last year, Manu clinched bronze in the 25m pistol at Bhopal and gold in the team event at Baku. In the May 2024 Olympic selection trial, she equalled the world record with a score of 42 in the women’s 25m Pistol OST T4 final at the MP State Shooting Academy. With such a strong performance, Manu stands poised to make more history at the Olympics.

The two medals... it is all sinking in, yes, but I must keep my emotions in check. I have one more event left to play. I’ll put my head down and carry on. I will try my best. Let’s see how I can perform. I hope the love stays, you know. I hope people are not disappointed or anything.

Manu Bhaker

With 1.4 billion Indians rooting for her, Manu is set to chase a hat-trick of medals in Paris. Win or lose, she has already transcended the Tokyo setbacks, completing a remarkable redemption story in the City of Light.