Suruchi Phogat has continued her strong rise in international shooting with another impressive performance. On Friday, the 19-year-old Indian shooter won the gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. This was her third consecutive World Cup gold, following two earlier victories in Buenos Aires this year. The win showed not just technical skill, but also her ability to stay calm under pressure.
Phogat scored 241.9 in the final, narrowly defeating France’s Camille Jedrzejewski, who finished with 241.7. China’s Yao Qianxun took the bronze with 221.7. The Munich competition was tougher than the earlier South American events, with a stronger field that included Olympic medallists, experienced shooters, and young talents. This made Suruchi’s victory even more significant.
In the qualification round, Yao topped the field with a score of 589, while Suruchi qualified in fifth place with 580. The final, however, saw a clear shift in momentum. Suruchi started strongly, scoring 52.1 in her first five shots. Two shots of 9 briefly pushed her to second place, but she returned to the lead with a 10.8 on her 12th shot. A 9.7 on her 16th shot again put her lead at risk, but she responded with steady shots of 10.7 and 10.5 to stay ahead.
The final moments were tense. Jedrzejewski, just 0.5 points behind, shot a strong 10.5 on her second-last attempt, increasing the pressure on Suruchi. Showing control and focus, Suruchi shot a 9.5 on her final attempt, which was enough to avoid a shoot-off and secure the gold by a margin of 0.2 points.
This third straight World Cup gold completes a remarkable phase in Suruchi’s young career. She made her senior international debut only earlier this year. Since then, she has won at the National Games and claimed all three individual titles at the National Championships across senior, junior, and youth categories. Her gold and silver medals in South America during her first senior World Cup had already marked her as a promising talent. The Munich win places her among the top shooters in the discipline.
Her coach, Suresh Singh, praised her ability to perform well in high-pressure situations. He said she often shoots her best when the competition is toughest, though he added that she still needs to improve her consistency in domestic events.
The Munich event also saw several leading Indian shooters in action. Manu Bhaker failed to reach the final despite being a strong Olympic contender. Asian Games medallist Palak Gulia finished 36th, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar ended her campaign in 51st place. Sainyam, shooting under the RPO category, reached the final with a score of 580.
Suruchi will compete again on Saturday in the mixed team event alongside Manu Bhaker. As the LA Olympics approach, Suruchi, Manu, and Sainyam are emerging as key figures in India’s shooting hopes.
