New Delhi: In a breathtaking display of poise, precision, and nerves of steel, 19-year-old Suruchi Singh continued her golden streak on the global stage, clinching her third consecutive individual ISSF World Cup gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Competing in a high-octane final in Munich, Germany on Friday, the young Indian shooter edged past Olympic-level competitors to further cement her status as the rising star of Indian shooting.
Suruchi shot a superb 241.9 in the eight-shooter final, narrowly defeating France’s Paris Olympic silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski (241.7) by just 0.2 points. China’s Yao Qianxuan took the bronze with 221.7.
Three World Cups. Three Golds. One Rising Star.
This gold completes a sensational hat-trick for Suruchi, who had earlier topped podiums in Buenos Aires and Lima — her debut and second ISSF World Cup appearances, respectively. At just 19, she has now won gold in each of her first three international World Cup appearances, a remarkable feat that puts her among the brightest young talents in Indian sports.
“It’s the closest among all the finals that I have played, and I think I was a bit lucky too,” Suruchi admitted after the nail-biting win.
National Record Equals Olympic Legend
Suruchi’s stellar form began long before Munich. In the qualification round, she shot a phenomenal 588, matching the national record held by none other than Manu Bhaker, a double Olympic medallist. This consistency in form has been evident since her victorious performance at the Nationals in December 2024.
While Suruchi dazzled, Bhaker ended her campaign at 21st with 574, and fellow Indian shooter Palak placed 30th with 570. Interestingly, Bhaker was on commentary duty during the final and voiced both concern and pride, noting that Suruchi “looked a bit nervous” but fought her way through brilliantly.
The Drama of the Final: Shot-by-Shot Tension
Suruchi began strong with a 52.1 in her first series, giving her an early advantage. But after slipping to second at the end of the second five-shot series, and briefly dropping to fourth after a 9.7 in her 11th shot, the pressure began to mount.
She regained her composure with a stunning 10.8 on the 12th shot, seizing back the lead in what would become a tense duel with Camille and Yao. The lead shifted again after the 18th shot, with Camille capitalizing on a few 9s from Suruchi to move ahead.
Heading into the final two shots, Suruchi trailed Camille by 0.5 points. But the teenager displayed champion grit: a 10.5 against Camille’s 9.5 in the penultimate round gave her the edge. Both finished with 9s, but it was enough for Suruchi to snatch a narrow and dramatic victory.
India’s First Gold in the Tournament
Suruchi’s win marks India’s first gold medal at the Munich World Cup, following the bronze won by Anjum Moudgil and Sift Kaur Samra earlier in the week. It adds to India’s growing medal tally in what has so far been a competitive and high-profile event.
The Road Ahead
At just 19, Suruchi Singh has now firmly placed herself on the global shooting map. With three consecutive World Cup golds, a national record-equalling performance, and a reputation for thriving under pressure, the young shooter is fast becoming the new face of Indian pistol shooting.
As the countdown to the Paris Olympics continues, India will be watching Suruchi’s journey with high hopes and growing expectations. If this Munich triumph is any indication, she’s only just getting started.
