Who is Swapnil Kusale? First Indian to win Bronze in the men's 50m rifle 3P event

Swapnil Kusale has etched his name in Indian history by being the first Indian shooter to win a bronze medal in the 50-metre rifle 3 positions event. 

This is the first time India has won a medal in this particular event at the Olympics, marking a significant milestone for Indian shooting sports. Kusale finished with a total of 451.4 points in the men's final, demonstrating his exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. 

This 29-year-old bronze medalist earned 195 points in the standing position 156.8 in the prone and 153.3 in the kneeling positions. He finished seventh in the qualifying round with a total score of 590, which includes 38 inner tens (Xs) across all three positions.

Swapnil Kusale: From Rural Maharashtra to Olympic Podium

Swapnil Kusale was born on August 6, 1995, in Kambalwadi village in Kolhapur district. Due to his interest in sports, his father enrolled him in the Maharashtra government's Krida Prabhodini sports programme in 2009.

Aftera year of hard work, Swapnil chose shooting as one of his main sports and began his journey towards becoming a professional shooter.

In 2015, this Olympic bronze medalist became a ticket collector for the Indian Railways in Pune, which helped him purchase his first rifle for his shooting career. 

In the same year, he won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 in the junior category at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. He also won the 50-meter rifle-prone event in the following year at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, defeating Gagan Narang and Chain Singh.

After 2 years of rigorous training, he participated in the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram in 2017 and repeated his performance, winning gold in the 50m rifle 3 position.

In October 2022, he earned an Olympic quota spot for India in the men's 50-metre rifle 3 position event by finishing fourth at the 2022 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Cairo.

In May 2024, Kusale secured his spot on the Indian Olympic team in the 50m rifle 3 positions event after successfully passing his trials held in Delhi and Bhopal. Despite ranking fifth in the final trials, Kusale still made his way to the team as the second shooter based on his scores in the first three trials.

With a final score of 451.4, Kusale earned bronze in the men's 50-meter rifle three-positions event at the 2024 Olympics, making him the first Indian to accomplish it.

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Kusale's Awards and Achievements

Here is the journey of Swapnil Kusale from winning the Asian Shooting Championship in the junior category to becoming the first Indian shooter to win a bronze in the 50-meter rifle 3P event. 

“I have a lot of emotions right now," Kusale said. “This medal means a lot. It is not gold, but I am pleased I got a medal. To get an Olympic medal is a dream.”

Competing at the National Shooting Centre in Châteauroux, Kusale was in sixth place after the first 15 shots in the kneeling position, scoring 153.3—just two points behind Norwegian shooter Jon-Hermann, who led at that stage.

Consistent shooting in the three-prone series and two-standing series helped the 28-year-old Indian shooter climb to third place. In stage 2, with one shooter eliminated after each shot, Kusale fired 10.5, 9.4, and 9.9 to maintain his top-three position and secure a medal.

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