Paris Olympics 2024 Archery: Tarundeep Rai falls short in thrilling Round-of-64 encounter
India's seasoned archer, Tarundeep Rai, went down in a gripping Round of 64 match against Great Britain's Tom Hall in the men’s individual event on Wednesday, July 31. Despite a stellar performance, Rai narrowly missed advancing to the next round, losing 4-6 after a losing 28-29 deciding set.
The match kicked off with Rai shooting an 8, 10, and 9 in his first three arrows, which Hall precisely mirrored to split the points evenly at 27 each.
In the second set, the archers continued their tit-for-tat battle, each shooting consistent 9s. However, Hall managed to land a crucial bullseye in his final arrow to edge out Rai 28-27 to take the lead.
The third set saw a shift in momentum as Hall faltered, opening with an 8 and struggling to regain his rhythm. Rai capitalized on this opportunity, delivering near-perfect shots of 9, 10, and 9 to claim the set 28-26, leveling the score and keeping his hopes alive.
The fourth set saw both archers neck-and-neck after the first two arrows. However, Rai's final arrow scored a 9, giving Hall a slight opening. The Briton seized the moment, hitting the center with precision to win the set and regain the lead at 5-3.
Rai began the deciding set with two impressive 10s; however, his final arrow, just shy of the bullseye with a 9, left the door open for Hall. Needing a perfect 10 to secure the victory, Hall delivered under pressure, drawing the set and securing the one point needed to win the match 6-4.
Deepika Kumari enters last 16 at the Paris Olympics 2024
Earlier in the day, India’s most experienced women’s archer, Deepika Kumari, won her Round of 64 and Round of 32 matches to advance to the last 16.
She narrowly edged past Estonia’s Reena Parnat in her first round, winning in a shoot-off after both archers shot an eight. Kumari's arrow landed closer to the center, handing her the win. In her second round, she easily defeated the Netherlands' Quinty Roeffen with a 6-2 victory to secure her place in the last 16.