Paris Olympics 2024 Day 5 Highlights: Paddlers Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula lose in pre-quarters, rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale in final
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  • Paris Olympics 2024 Day 5 Highlights: Paddlers Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula lose in pre-quarters, rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale in final
THE TIMES OF INDIA | Aug 01, 2024, 01:52:06 IST
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Paris Olympics 2024 Day 5 Highlights: Paddlers Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula lose in pre-quarters, rifle shooter Swapnil Kusale in final

Paris Olympics 2024 Day 5 Live Updates: Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale on Wednesday qualified for the finals of 50m rifle 3 positions here after finishing seventh in the qualification round but Aishwary Tomar ended at the 11th position to make an exit while Indian badminton heavyweights PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the women's and men's singles events, respectively, with dominant wins.

Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula lost 0-4 to world number one Yingsha Sun of China in the pre-quarterfinals of the women's singles competition at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, marking her exit in the round of 16.

Earlier in the day, Manika Batra, who was the first Indian paddler to reach the round of 16 at the Olympics, suffered a 1-4 defeat to Japan's Miu Hirano in the women's singles round of 16 clash.

Indian table tennis continues to break new ground despite the setbacks. The achievements of players like Sreeja and Manika highlight the progress the country is making in the sport on the Olympic stage.

Tokyo Olympics bronze-winner Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) began her quest for a second successive Games medal confidently as she out-punched Norway's Sunniva Hofstad in her opening bout.

Lovlina Borgohain, the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category, started her journey towards a second consecutive Olympic medal with a dominant performance.

She defeated Sunniva Hofstad of Norway in a unanimous 5-0 decision in her first 75kg bout of the competition.

With this victory, Borgohain finds herself just one win away from securing a medal and achieving a unique accomplishment in the history of Indian boxing.

However, her next challenge will be a formidable one as she is set to face the top-seeded Chinese boxer Li Qian in the quarterfinals on August 4.

Deepika Kumari, a top-notch Indian archer, progressed to the pre-quarterfinals of the women's individual event at the Olympic Games in Paris on Wednesday. She achieved this feat by securing consecutive victories in her matches.

Despite a disappointing performance in the team event, Deepika showcased her skills in the individual competition. In her first match, she triumphed over Estonia's Reena Parnat with a score of 6-5 in a thrilling shoot-off. She then went on to defeat Quinty Roeffen of the Netherlands 6-2 in her second match.

Deepika's next challenge will be against Germany's Michelle Kroppen in the pre-quarterfinal round, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday.
20:04 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Guatemala's Oliva wins women's trap gold
Guatemala's Adriana Ruano Oliva won the women's trap gold of the Paris Olympics, while Italy's Silvana Stanco claimed the silver at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre on Wednesday. Australia's Penny Smith took bronze.
19:46 (IST) Jul 31
The wind is a little bit difficult, says India's foreign rifle coach Farnik
The windy conditions at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre are making the task doubly difficult for the marksman and markswoman competing at the ongoing Olympics, India's foreign coach for rifle shooting Thomas Farnik said on Wednesday.

If that was not enough, his wards' lack of awareness about the "importance of wind shooting" has only added to the woes.

One of the shooters, Swapnil Kusale, on Wednesday became the first Indian to reach the final of the 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Olympics.

On Thursday, Kusale will seek a podium finish while Sift Kaur Samra and Anjum Moudgil will take aim in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions qualifications.

"Preparation is very good. Everything is set. Now it's important that the shooters have the perfect mindset for the competition, their mind is free and they can do well," Farnik said.

Speaking about the conditions, the Austrian said, "A slight movement of the wind affects, recently they learnt the technique of wind shooting before I was coming there... they are not aware of the importance of wind shooting so they are not 100 per cent confident right now. But that will affect all the shooters."
19:28 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Marin savouring Olympic badminton after injury nightmare
Spanish badminton ace Carolina Marin said Wednesday she was "happy like a kid" at the Paris Olympics after missing the Tokyo Games three years ago with a serious knee injury.

Marin, the 2016 women's singles champion, was hot favourite for the Tokyo title until she suffered a cruciate ligament knee tear just months before the tournament.

That kept her out for a year and came just two years after she ruptured the ACL in her other knee -- an injury that sidelined her for eight months of 2019.

She also had to deal with the death of her father in 2020.

The 31-year-old, currently ranked fourth in the world, made it through to the knock-out rounds in Paris after beating Ireland's Rachael Darragh 21-5, 21-5 in just 27 minutes.

She said she was feeling confident in her game and was trying to soak up the Olympic experience.

"I was so excited when I came the first day for practice," she said.

"I was so happy like a kid, even though I'm 31 years old. The feeling was amazing and I'm really happy to be here."

18:56 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: 61-year-old Ni's dream run ends in defeat by China's Sun
Luxembourg's former China table tennis player Ni Xialian's sixth Olympics was cut short on Wednesday by Chinese top seed Sun Yingsha, who the 61-year-old helped train this week to prepare for opponents with an unusual paddle in the mixed doubles final.

For Ni, a former world champion with China who now represents Luxembourg, her stint in Paris was a dream come true.

"I am very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to play against Shasha, the world number one," said Ni, who lost 4-0 in the round of 32.

"I truly had my eyes opened to what it means to be the world number one.

"Many shots that would score in other games were just like scratching an itch for her, barely affecting her at all."

Ni, world champion in 1983, is the oldest athlete competing in table tennis at the Paris Games.

She moved to Luxembourg in the late 1980s after winning two world championship gold medals for China.

Ni missed the 1996 Olympics because she did not want to represent anyone but China, although she had a change of heart years later after realising sport is not just about nationality.

Still nimble on court, Ni attributed her extended career to the fundamental skills she learned in China, as well as support from her team in Luxembourg, including her coach and husband Tommy Danielsson.

18:35 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Sifan Hassan to run 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon
Netherlands' Sifan Hassan will defend her Tokyo Olympic 5,000 metres and 10,000 titles and take on the marathon in Paris, she said on Wednesday, taking on an astonishing agenda even as she dropped the 1,500 from her programme.

Hassan, who was initially registered to compete in all four events, sent shockwaves through the sport when she attempted an unprecedented Tokyo treble three years ago.

One of the toughest fighters on the track, Hassan fell during her opening 1,500 heat but came roaring back to advance and ultimately take bronze.

She later said that the stress of chasing the Tokyo agenda left her exhausted but was all smiles as she announced a gruelling new programme for Paris.

"I'm really curious what's going to happen," the Ethiopian-born runner told reporters.

Hassan will open her Olympic campaign with the 5,000 opening round on Friday with the final set for Monday.

With the 10,000 medal race scheduled for Aug. 9, she will have less than 48 hours rest before attempting the marathon, making for an astonishingly tough assignment.

18:18 (IST) Jul 31
Jamaica's Shericka Jackson said Wednesday she will not compete in the women's 100m at the Paris Olympics.

"I'm only running the 200m here," said Jackson, the double world 200-metre champion, who has won silvers in the 100m in the last two world champs and Olympic 100m bronze at the Tokyo Games.

17:52 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: China's Deng takes gold in women's freestyle
China's Deng Yawen won the gold medal in the women's BMX Freestyle at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday. Perris Benegas of the United States took silver, while Australia's Natalya Diehm claimed bronze.
17:50 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Djokovic beats heat to reach quarters

Novak Djokovic found his rhythm in the punishing heat to beat Germany's Dominik Koepfer and reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, staying on track for an elusive gold.

The Serbian top seed, who crushed Rafael Nadal in the previous round, came through 7-5, 6-3 and will face world number 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight.

17:48 (IST) Jul 31
Canada fail in bid to overturn six-point deduction in Olympic football
Canada's six-point deduction over a spying scandal at the women's Olympic football has been upheld after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport failed on Wednesday.

The Swiss-based body was asked to review the punishment handed down by world football's governing body FIFA which has left the reigning Olympic champions in danger of a group-stage exit at the Paris Games.

Canada have won both of their matches so far, against New Zealand and France, but the penalty means they have zero points with only one group game remaining.

They must now beat Colombia later on Wednesday if they are to advance to the quarter-finals as they seek to repeat their gold medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Canada were docked six points and fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($226,000) by FIFA as a punishment after a staff member used a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session ahead of their match, which Canada won 2-1.

17:11 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Equestrian
Anush Agarwala fails to qualify for the Dressage Individual Finals after finishing 9th in his group with a score of 66.444.
16:52 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: Deepika wins, enters pre-quarters
India's top archer Deepika kept her medal hopes alive with a 6-2 win over Netherlands' Quinty Roeffen for a place in the women's individual pre-quarterfinal that will be played tomorrow.
16:50 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: Deepika back in the lead
The ace Indian archer claims the third set to restore her two-point lead at 4-2.
16:48 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: It's 2-2 now at archery
Deepika loses the second set, as Netherlands' Roeffen brings the match on level terms
16:45 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: Deepika wins the first set
The Indian takes 2-0 lead over the Dutch girl Quinty Roeffen in the best-of-five-sets match for a place in the last 16.
16:40 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics 2024 Live Updates, Day 2: Up next - Deepika Kumari for a place in archery pre-quarters
The ace Indian archer takes on Quinty Roeffen of the Netherlands.
16:36 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: Shooters Rajeshwari, Shreyasi fail to make the cut
The two Indian trap shooters fail to finish in the qualifying bracket of top 6, ending up outside the top 20 in the field.
16:31 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: On her birthday, Sreeja Akula becomes only the second Indian TT player, after Manika Batra, to enter the pre-quarterfinals in Olympics
16:28 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: And the winner is...
16:16 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Deepika Kumari advances in women's individual event
The ace Indian archer enters Round of 32 in women's individual event, defeats Reena Parnat of Estonia 6-5. She will be back to play in 15 minutes from now for a place in the pre-quarterfinals
16:12 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lovlina enters women's 75kg boxing quarterfinals
The Indian bronze medallist from Tokyo beats Norway's Sunniva Hofstad on points (5-0) to progress to the last-eight stage. She stands one win away from being assured of a second Olympic medal.
16:10 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lovlina marches on, claims round two as well
Lovlina the clear winner of Round 2 for all judges.
16:04 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lovlina takes Round 1
All five judges award full points to Lovlina againsg the Norwegian Sunniva
15:58 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lovlina takes on Sunniva Hofstad of Norway in women's 75kg pre-quarterfinal
15:53 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Coming up - Action from boxing and archery
Lovlina Borgohain enters the boxing ring in women's 75kg division, while Deepika hopes to change her luck changes and performance improves in the individual event knockout rounds
15:26 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Paddler Sreeja Akula in Round of 16
Sreeja Akula storms into pre-quarterfinals in women's singles event, beating Singapore's Jian Zheng 4-2. Sreeja wins her Round of 32 match 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10 in the contest which lasts 51 minutes.
15:15 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Paddler Sreeja Akula still in lead
Singapore's Jian Zheng makes a fighting comeback to win the fifth game 12-10. The young table tennis star from India still leads 3-2 in Round-of-32 match in women's singles
15:05 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Paddler Sreeja Akula in lead
The young table tennis star from India leads 3-1 after four games against Singapore's Jian Zheng in Round-of-32 match in women's singles
14:56 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Paddler Sreeja Akula in action
The young table tennis star from India takes on Singapore's Jian Zheng in Round-of-32 match in women's singles
14:47 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lakshya knocks out third seed!
Lakshya Sen enters pre-quarterfinals of men's singles badminton by knocking out one of the medal-favourites Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-18, 21-12.
14:35 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lakshya takes lead in a Game 2
The India leads 11-6 at the breather in Game 2, having won the first game 21-18. Winner of the match moves into the pre-quarterfinals.
14:26 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Lakshya wins Game 1
Lakshya wins the hard-fought first game 21-18 against third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a winner-takes-all match in Group L of men's singles badminton competition. Winner moves to pre-quarterfinals, loser bows out.
14:06 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Shuttler Lakshya Sen in group-stage action; winner enters pre-quarters, loser exits
It's a tough for the India's World Championship medallist, against third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia. Lakshya leading 14-12 in Game 1.
14:01 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: India enter another shooting final!
Swapnil Kusale qualifies for the final of men's 50m rifle 3 Positions event by finishing 7th with a score of 590. Aishwary Pratap fails to make the top-8 cut as he ended up with a score of 589 for the 11th position.
13:51 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: Sindhu storms into Round of 16
PV Sindhu beats Kristin Kuuba 21-5, 21-10 in just 34 minutes to enter Round of 16 in women's singles. Finishes on top in Group M with 2/2 wins.
13:36 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 2: From the rowing venue...
India's Balraj Panwar finishes last with a timing of 7:04.97 in Semifinal C/D of Men's Single Sculls event and will next be seen rowing in Final D, which is only to decide placings (not a medal round)
13:30 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: PV Sindhu in a hurry
Sindhu breezes through the first game 21-5 in just 14 minutes against Kristin Kubba of Estonia in their Group M match of the women's singles badminton competition
13:19 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics 2024 Live Updates, Day 5: At the end of kneeling and prone rounds (40 shots) in men's 50m 3P qualification...
India's Aishwary stands 8th with a score of 396; but the 4th to 8th-position shooters are all at 396, separated only by the inner-10 count. Kusale is 10th with 395. Shooters will now fire the last 20 shots of the qualification round in the standing position. Those who end up as top eight will go through to the final.
13:09 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live: In case you missed it...
Star India shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa announced yesterday that Paris is her last Olympic appearance, after she and her partner Tanish Crasto lost in the Group C women's doubles match against Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu to exit the competition.
12:50 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: At the end of kneeling round (20 shots) in men's 50m rifle 3P qualification...
India's Swapnil at sixth position with a score of 198 and Aishwary 9th with 197. Top eight qualify for the final. Next will be 20 shots in prone position, followed by 20 in standing.
12:32 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Also in shooting...
It's Day 2 of the Women's Trap qualification round featuring India's Shreyasi Singh and Rajeshwari Kumari. Top six from the field of 30 shooters make it to the final. Both the Indians are currently not even in the top 20, so not looking good there.
12:28 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: EXPLAINER - the rules in 50m 3 Positions qualification round
As the name of the event suggests, there are 3 Positions (kneeling, prone, and standing) in which the shooters have to fire, with 20 shots in each position at a target 50 metres away. Shooters finishing in the top eight go through to the final.
12:06 (IST) Jul 31
Paris Olympics Live, Day 5: Coming up first up for India today...

12:30 PM: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale in 50m rifle 3 Positions Men's Qualification:
12:30 PM: Shreyasi Singh, Rajeshwari Kumari in Women's Trap Qualification - Day 2
11:54 (IST) Jul 31
Sarabjot Singh, a farmer's son, was introduced to the sport at a summer camp in his teens. He liked the pistol, enjoyed hitting the target & was hooked. Now, he has an Olympic bronze to his name
11:26 (IST) Jul 31
Besides Manu's historic feats, the other significant news from the India camp..
Besides Manu's historic feats, the other significant news from the India camp..
10 More Updates