Rio de Janeiro - In a remarkable performance at the fifth and final World Cup event of the year in Rio de Janeiro, young talent Elavenil Valarivan of India secured her inaugural ISSF World Cup title. Trained under the guidance of the 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist, Gagan Narang, Valarivan displayed exceptional skill in the 10m Air Rifle final, amassing an impressive total of 251.7 points to clinch the gold medal.
The silver medal went to Great Britain's Seonaid McIntosh, who scored 250.6 points, while Ying-Shin Lin of Chinese Taipei secured the bronze with 229.9 points. Lin's third-place finish also earned her a coveted quota spot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Valarivan's journey to victory began with her fourth-place qualification for the final. She maintained her medal prospects from the outset, achieving a score of 52.2 after the first series of five shots. However, it was during the second series that she accelerated, accumulating 104.9 points and securing the second position.
Despite McIntosh's persistent challenge, Valarivan held her nerve and maintained a narrow 0.4-point lead at the end of the fifth series. From that point onwards, she consistently performed at a high level, with practically no shots below 10.5, ultimately securing the gold medal.
In contrast, the other Indian finalist, Anjum Moudgil, faced disappointment as a decline in her shooting performance during the second series cost her early momentum, resulting in a sixth-place finish with 166.8 points. Moudgil had qualified for the final as the sixth-best shooter following her consistent performance in the qualification round.
Apruvi Chandela, the third Indian competitor, narrowly missed out on qualification, finishing in the 11th position during the qualification round.
India had already secured the maximum quota of two places for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the 10m Air Rifle event. Valarivan's impressive victory over her senior compatriots, Moudgil and Chandela, presents a promising challenge in the 10m Air Rifle category for the Indian team.