How did Prithviraj Tondaiman qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024?
Prithviraj Tondaiman, 37, is among the oldest athletes in India's contingent at Paris Olympics 2024. The Tamil Nadu native has witnessed a late resurgence in his career and has shown massive improvements over the last couple of years to earn a place in the Indian shooting team for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Prithviraj’s affair with shooting started at the early age of 15 but his first international medal for India came over two decades later.
The 37-year-old failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics but was determined to give it everything for the Paris Games. He started with a gold medal in the men's trap team event at the 2021 ISSF World Cup.
Two years later, at the 2023 ISSF World Cup in Doha, Prithviraj Tondaiman won his maiden international individual medal. He secured the bronze in the men's trap event and followed it up with another bronze in the Lonato edition. However, he couldn't secure the Olympic quota for India, which was won by Bhownesh Mendiratta at the ISSF World Championships 2022.
The National Rifle Association of India considered national and Qualification Rankings for Olympic Games (QROG) rankings of trap shooters along with recent performances for selection to the Paris Olympics. On April 4, Prithviraj Tondaiman topped QROG as India’s best-ranked player at No.14 with 6796 points.
Following a close contest at the Olympic Selection Trials, Prithviraj was awarded the lone place in the men's trap event for the Paris Olympics, largely based on his impressive rankings. Bhownesh Mendiratta, who had won the Olympic quota for the nation, couldn't impress the selectors during the Olympic trials.
Can Prithviraj Tondaiman win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024?
Prithviraj Tondaiman will have a chance to win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 if the veteran trap shooter can bring out his best on the big stage. Although he does have a lot of experience behind him, it will be his first major international event, so some nerves are expected.
The 37-year-old is ranked 54 in the men's trap in the world and has been scoring around 115-120 consistently in the last couple of years. If he keeps hitting the 120 mark consistently, Prithviraj could very well hear the national anthem on the podium in Paris.