India’s top rifle shooter, Rudrankksh Patil, won the 10m air rifle gold at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires on Sunday.
In the 10m air rifle final, Patil scored 252.9 in the final to top the podium. Paris Games participant Arjun Babuta had also qualified for the final, but couldn’t make the podium after being eliminated in seventh position with a score of 144.9.
From first shot to last in the eight-man final that also featured Paris Olympian Arjun Babuta — he finished seventh — Patil was in command, and comfortably in the lead.
Patil finished with a score of 252.9, 1.2 points more than silver medallist Istvan Marton Peni of Hungary (251.7), and bronze medallist Marcelo Julian Gutierrez of Argentina (230.1).
Maharashtra shooter Patil, 21, who had clinched a quota place for the Paris Games, had to miss out in the Paris Olympics selection trials in Bhopal last year after losing out to Sandeep Singh in the trials. The shooter struggled mentally following the setback and had to endure a lot of stress too.
“I am happy to be back. I was feeling well during the qualification round and hoped to continue the form in the final. I wasn’t thinking of scores in the final and avoided unnecessary pressure,” Patil said.
“This is the first World Cup after the Olympics. I’m glad that I was able to perform to my level and bring the gold home,” he said.
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Babuta was the top qualifier after scoring 634.5 in the qualification round, while Patil shot 633.7 for second spot.
He showed fine form in the national selection trials held in New Delhi in February, and carried that rhythm into the year’s first World Cup in Argentina.
