26-year old Apurvi Chandela broke the world record in Women’s 10m Air Rifle to register a gold for India at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in New Delhi. Apurvi defeated China’s Ruozhu Zhao in the high-tension final with an incredible sequence of scores that never dropped below 10.
Chandela, who had secured a Tokyo Olympic quota in the last World Championships, was fourth in the qualifications with 629.3. Zhao topped the chart with a qualification world record score of 634 breaking the world record.
Chandela had a slow start in the final. Her first shot went 10.1. After the first two series of five shots, she was at the 7th position. But as the game progressed, she gained the momentum to stay on top. An unbelievable series of 10.6 10.8 10.6 and another 10.8 ensured Apurvi Chandela was way ahead of the pack with a difference of 0.8 points. The 24th and final shot was a 10.5 from Chandela, same as Zhao, but the gap by then had only widened.
Speaking about the high intensity clash, Chandela recalled the Munich World Cup last year, when she dropped from the top position to finish 4th. “In Munich World Cup, I was leading and then I dropped down. It was a freak shot, it wasn’t a malfunction. It was my error. But I am glad, I was able to move past that because such things can play in your mind. I think I beat myself in that way.”
