Gold-medallist Saurabh Chaudhary: Was not thinking of world record

Saurabh Chaudhary, who broke the world mark to win gold in 10m air pistol and seal berth for 2020 Tokyo Games, did not let pressure get to him in final

A gold medal with a world record score and an Olympic quota as an icing on the cake, young Saurabh Chaudhary could have hardly asked for more on a 'Super Sunday', where his sole focus was on giving his best shot. Chaudhary, who holds the junior world record, smashed the senior record on his way to the men's 10m air pistol gold with at the ISSF World Cup here. He finished with a total score of 245, also securing an Olympic quota for the country in the process.

Best foot forward
"I was not thinking about the world record. If I had thought about making a record then it would not have been possible, neither was I thinking about the Olympic quota, I just wanted to give my best," Chaudhary said after the win. Chaudhary said it was special winning at home. "To win a medal in front of the home crowd, in my first senior World Cup was superb. The crowd was similar to the Asian Games," the teenager said.

He may have dominated the final event from the start, finishing 5.7 points ahead of the silver medallist but assessed that the field was tough. "This being my first senior final, I felt the pressure. The competition was hard. I was aware of my lead, but didn't let it get to my head. I was not thinking about the quota, just wanted to give my best," he said.

Manu Bhaker

Manu Bhaker disappoints
While it was ecstasy for Chaudhary, Manu Bhaker faced another disappointment failing to finish on the podium in the 25m pistol event. "I tried my best. I don't know what happened," Bhaker said. Asked if she felt burdened by the expectation of the home crowd, Bhaker said: "The support was great. There was no pressure I was just happy India is hosting the World Cup."

On whether the injury to her left arm caused her problems Manu insisted that she was fully fit. "l had some problems with my left arm till February 21 but now it's fine. That is not the reason for my bad performance today," Bhaker said. The youngster said that she is yet to figure out why she is having a consistent final jinx. "I do not know about the mistakes I committed right now. My monitor was on the other side so I couldn't see it properly. My performance in 25m throughout last year has been 4th, 5th or 6th position. I don't know what's wrong," she said.

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