Who is Elavenil Valarivan? All you need to know about the Indian shooter taking part in Paris 2024 Olympics
With the Paris 2024 Olympics kicking off on July 26, Indian air rifle expert Elavenil Valarivan will compete against the best shooters from around the world to end India’s medal drought in the shooting arena.
Indeed, the 24-year-old Valarivan, who has been awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award, is one of the most decorated members of India’s record 21-member shooting contingent in Paris.
Along with fellow riflewoman Anjum Moudgil and pistol expert Manu Bhaker, Valarivan represents one of the best chances of India winning its second Olympic gold medal in shooting since Abhinav Bindra’s heroics in the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Elavenil Valarivan’s career
Born into an academic family in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district, Elavenil Valarivan started her shooting career as a mere hobby at the age of 13. However, after her talents in the sport were noticed at her school in Ahmedabad, she was drafted into the Gun for Glory Academy run by former Olympian Gagan Narang – who is India’s chef-de-mission in Paris.
Elavenil Valarivan’s early promise bore fruit as she made her debut at the National Shooting Championships in 2015. She won her first National Championships in 2017, winning the gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event.
The following year was even more successful for her, as she won two medals (one gold and one bronze) at the World University Shooting Sports Championships in 2018. She had international success for the first time after winning a gold medal at the women’s 10m air rifle event in the 2018 Junior World Cup in Sydney. She won two gold medals in the women’s 10m air rifle and the 10m air rifle mixed team events at the 2018 Suhl Junior World Cup.
After another Junior World Cup gold medal in 2019, Elavenil Valarivan cemented herself as a talent to admire after winning a gold medal in the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Rio as well as a gold medal in the 2019 World Cup Final in Putian. The win also took her to the world's No. 1 position in her discipline.
Despite a horror show in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she finished in a lowly 16th rank, the shooting sensation continued her upward growth with three ISSF World Cup medals – two gold (2021 and 2022) and one silver (2022) in the next two years. She also bagged a bronze medal in the 2022 ISSF World Championship in Cairo.
Valarivan created history when she defended her gold medal in the ISSF Rio World Cup in 2023, four years after her first win.
Elavenil Valarivan will look to show the world that she belongs among the world’s rifle elite at the Paris 2024 Olympics when the shooting events start on July 27.