Former National champion Apurvi Chandela shot 415.3 and missed the final in women’s air rifle by 1.2 points in the shooting World Cup in Munich on Sunday.
In a strong field comprising 145 shooters from 63 countries, the 21-year-old from Jaipur, Apurvi returned a series of 104.2, 103.4, 104.4 and 103.3 for a total that was 0.2 point better than her score in the last World Cup in Fort Benning.
Two other Indian women in the fray, Ayonika Paul and Pooja Ghatkar also did well to be ranked 22nd and 25th respectively, while the Asian youth champion, the 14-year-old Martina Lindsay Veloso of Singapore beat the former World and Olympic champion Katerina Emmons to the gold by 0.3 point despite a below par last shot of 9.7.
Another former World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra shot 620.1 and placed 56th in men’s air rifle in a field of 131 shooters from 56 countries. He had a series of 103.1, 103.4, 103.7, 102.3, 104.3, 103.3.
The World, Olympic and Asian Games medallist and multiple gold medallist in Commonwealth Games, Gagan Narang had to compete in the MQS section and shot 616.9, a commendable effort after a slow start. He had a series of 100.0, 101.7 104.4, 102.9, 104.0, 103.9.
Two other Indians in the main event, Chain Singh and Ravi Kumar followed Bindra in the 62nd and 66th spots respectively. The 18-year-old Yang Haoran, already a top shot with World Cup Final, World Cup and Asian gold medals in his collection, shot a junior final world record score of 207.7 to beat Sergey Kruglov of Russia by 2.6 points for the gold.
The results:
Men: Air rifle: 1. Yang Haoran (Chn) 207.7 (FWRJ) 630.1; 2. Sergey Kruglov (Rus) 205.1 (631.5); 3. Niccolo Campriani (Ita) 184.8 (628.6); 56. Abhinav Bindra 620.1; 62. Chain Singh 619.3; 66. Ravi Kumar 618.5. MQS: Gagan Narang 616.9.
Women: Air rifle: 1. Martina Lindsay Veloso (Sin) 206.9 (416.9); 2. Katerina Emmons (Cze) 206.6 (417.2); 3. Andrea Arsovic (Srb) 184.6 (416.7); 16. Apurvi Chandela 415.3; 22. Ayonika Paul 414.9; 25. Pooja Ghatkar 414.0.
