Manu Bhaker Finishes Fifth After Dramatic Fight in Women’s 10m Air Pistol Final at Asian Games 2026:

Manu Bhaker produced a dramatic fight in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the Asian Games 2026, repeatedly finding herself under elimination pressure before eventually finishing fifth.

The Indian shooter started strongly enough to remain among the leading contenders but struggled for consistency through the middle stages of the final. A series of crucial shots then kept her alive when elimination seemed imminent, including a spectacular 10.8 under pressure. Ultimately, Manu's run ended after the 18th shot, with the Indian finishing fifth with a score of 181.1.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Korea’s Choo Gaeun dominated the final and won the gold medal with a new Asian Record of 246.3. China’s Shen Yiyao took silver, while Jiang Ranxin claimed bronze.

The final featured two opening series of five shots before the elimination phase began. Manu started with a 9.9, followed by a 10.6 and a 9.5. She then responded with a 10.3 and a 10.5 to complete her first five shots with 50.8. That placed her third after the opening series, behind Choo Gaeun on 51.8 and Shen Yiyao on 51.1.

It was a respectable beginning, but Manu needed to remain consistent as the competition moved into the second series.

The second series proved much more difficult. Manu's five shots were 10.2, 9.9, 8.9, 10.1 and 10.3, giving her a total of 100.3 after 10 shots. That left her joint-fifth alongside Shen Yiyao at that stage of the competition. The 8.9 in particular proved costly, dropping Manu into the bottom half of a tightly packed leaderboard.

With the elimination rounds beginning, every individual shot carried significantly greater importance. After the 12th shot, Manu was fifth with 120.4, while Iran’s Samieh Yasi became the first shooter eliminated. Manu then found herself in increasing danger.

A 9.2 on her 13th shot left her level with Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Trang at 129.6, turning the next exchange into a direct battle for survival. The Indian then delivered when it mattered.

Manu produced a 10.3, while Nguyen could only manage a 9.2. That allowed Manu to survive as the Vietnamese shooter was eliminated. But the reprieve was temporary.

A Stunning 10.8 Keeps Manu Alive

Manu was again under serious pressure after the next stage. She entered the elimination zone after shooting a 10.0, sitting just 0.1 behind Nguyen. With her place in the final hanging by a thread, she responded with one of the shots of her competition. A massive 10.8 from Manu changed the situation immediately.

Nguyen had shot a 10.6, but Manu's higher score was enough to keep the Indian ahead. Kazakhstan’s Valeriya Popelova, who had a poor final shot, was instead eliminated in seventh place. The 10.8 briefly lifted Manu into the top three and demonstrated her ability to respond under immense scoreboard pressure.

Manu continued to battle through the next elimination stage. She produced a 10.3 while Nguyen struggled with a 9.2, allowing the Indian to remain in fifth position. Nguyen was eliminated after shot 16. That left Manu among the final five shooters, with Choo, Shen, Jiang Ranxin and Cheng Yen-Ching.

At this point, the margins were extremely small. Choo remained in control at the top, while the Chinese shooters and Manu were separated by fractions of a point. Manu's final stretch, however, proved too difficult to overcome. She registered a 9.6 with her 18th shot, bringing her final score to 181.1 and ending her challenge for the medals.

Despite the disappointment, Manu walked away with a smile after a final in which she had repeatedly managed to save herself from elimination.

Choo Gaeun Claims Asian Record

While Manu's battle was unfolding behind her, Choo Gaeun maintained control at the top of the leaderboard. The Korean shooter eventually secured the gold medal with 246.3, setting a new Asian Record. China's Shen Yiyao and Jiang Ranxin completed the podium with silver and bronze, respectively, giving China two medals from the event.

For Manu, the fifth-place finish will not tell the full story of her performance. She began the final in third, slipped to the middle of the standings, survived multiple elimination battles and then produced a remarkable 10.8 when her medal hopes were under immediate threat.

The final ultimately ended without a medal for India, but Manu's ability to repeatedly respond under pressure was one of the defining features of the competition. In a discipline where fractions of a point can determine whether a shooter stays or goes, she remained in contention deep into the final before finally bowing out after 18 shots.