Sanjeev Rajput took the top position in Men’s 50m Rifle 3 positions. (Source: AP)
Sanjeev Rajput added to India’s glittering gold tally as he took the top position with a Games record in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event on Day 10 of Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast, Australia.
After topping the qualification stage with 1180 points at the Belmont Shooting Centre, Rajput shot 454.5 to claim the gold medal in 50m rifle 3 positions. The 37-year old added to India’s shooting medal-tally, taking it to 16 which includes seven gold medals.
This is Rajput’s first gold medal and the third overall at Commonwealth Games. Rajput bettered his finish from Glasgow Games 2014 where he won silver. At the Melbourne 2006 edition of the CWG, he had claimed a bronze. The Arjuna Awardee winner proved a point after National Rifle Association of India did not select him for Rio Olympics 2016.
Proud of you, Sanjeev Rajput! Congratulations on winning gold in men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions at #GC2018Shooting #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) 14 April 2018
And here’s a 🥇 for Sanjeev Rajput in 50m rifle 3 position event. Not just a gold, Sanjeev has even shattered the CWG record.
So proud to see the incredible talent #India has!
Many congratulations! #IndiaAtCWG #CWG2018 #GC2018Shooting #SAI🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/a5ruFK7st4— SAIMedia (@Media_SAI) April 14, 2018
The second and third positions went ot Canada’s Grzegorz Sych and England’s Dean Bale respectively. While Sych shot 448.4 to claim silver, Bale bagged the bronze with 441.2.
In the qualification, Rajput scored 391 in kneeling, 399 in prone and 390 in standing, while his teammate Chain Singh ended up second with shots 389 398 and 379 for a cumulative score of 1166. In prone Rajput shot three 100s and a 99.
Chain Singh, the other Indian shooter in the fray, finished fifth with 419.1.