Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Jitu Rai exits after failing to make 50m Pistol final

Last updated on: August 10, 2016 19:57 IST

Asian Games gold medallist Jitu Rai finished 12th in the six-series qualifying round.

Prakash Nanjappa places lowly 25th out of 41 shooters.

Jitu Rai

IMAGE: India’s shooter Jitu Rai reacts during the men’s 50m Pistol Qualification at the Rio Olympics. Photograph: PTI

Ace marksman Jitu Rai flattered to deceive before crashing out of the Rio Olympics, failing to make it to the final of men's 50-metre pistol, his pet event, on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Asian Games gold medallist finished 12th in the six-series qualifying round after being placed fourth at the end of the fifth and penultimate series at the Olympic Shooting Centre.

He aggregated 554. Had he fired a little better in the final series he could have well made the final round, as Wang Zhiwei, who took 8th place, scored 556.

Defending champion Jin Jongoh of South Korea topped the qualification, scoring 567. He was followed by China’s Pang Wei (565) and Korea’s Han Seungwoo (562).

The other Indian participant in the event, Prakash Nanjappa, finished a lowly 25th out of 41 shooters with an aggregate of 547 as the shooters continued to draw blanks.

Multiple medallist at the ISSF World Cup, World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Jitu started the qualification round with scores of 91 and fired 95 in the second series.

Scores of 90, 94 were followed by another 95, including four 10s, in the fifth series that propelled him to fourth at the completion of the series.

However, things went awry for the armyman in the final series that included two eights, which left him way behind in the pecking order.

Not his usual self, a final effort of 10 was not enough for him to avoid elimination in his maiden Olympics.

Earlier, on Sunday, a poor start cost Jitu as he was the first to be eliminated in the final of 10-metre air pistol event.