How did Sift Kaur Samra qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024?
Sift Kaur Samra is the world record holder in the women's 50m air rifle 3 positions and has qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 after topping the Olympic Selection Trials. She will be India’s biggest hope of a medal in the shooting at the Olympic Games.
Sift secured the Olympic quota for India in the women's 50m air rifle 3 position at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku. She finished fifth with an aggregate score of 429.1 in the final. It marked India’s fifth Olympic shooting quota.
During the Olympic Selection Trials, which took place in April and May, Sift Kaur Samra topped the rankings after the end of four stages. She secured the first position with a final average score of 590.87 to qualify for her maiden Olympic Games.
Sift has been in dominant form over the last couple of years. She secured the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions. The 22-year-old registered a world record score of 469.6 points, which included 154.6 in kneeling, 157.9 in prone, and 157.1 in the standing position.
Can Sift Kaur Samra win a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024?
Given her form and exploits over the last couple of years, Sift Kaur Samra enters the Paris Olympics 2024 as the favorite for a medal in the 50m air rifle 3 positions category. However, her biggest threat will be Chinese shooters.
Along with winning the gold medal in women's 50m air rifle at the Asian Games, she also secured the silver medal in the team competition. Over the ISSF World Cups, the 22-year-old has earned three bronze medals. Her recent victory came at the Asian Shooting Championships in Jakarta, where Sift won the silver medal in the women's 50m air rifle 3 position category.
When at her best, Sift Kaur Samra consistently scores around the 460 mark. The winning score at the Paris Olympics 2024 is likely going to be between 460-465, and the world record holder has a very high chance of not just being on the podium but being on it with a gold medal around her neck.