'Nerves got the better of me in the end': Manu Bhaker

Indias doublemedal winner at the Paris Olympics 2024 Manu Bhaker on Saturday said there was no pressure on her for a third podium finish here after she narrowly missed out on a bronze in the womens 25m pistol competitionBhaker finished fourth and signed off from the ongoing Olympics as the firstever Indian to have won two medals in a single edition of the Games after IndependenceBhaker who shot 28 in the shootoff said the experience will only add to her skills along with a lot of motivationDid I No I dont think I did because as soon as the last matches were over my coach was like You know what history is history Now live in the present and then later on you can sit down and think about how everything went Bhaker said at the mixed zoneJaspal sir he does a great job in keeping me in the present There was no such pressure of winning a third medal but I definitely wanted to do my best and try to give a like great match thats all I was trying and well Bhaker addedThe fourth position definitely does not feel amazing but there is always a next time and certainly it is going to be there for meNow I have two medals and lots of motivation to work on for the next time I will try my best and work really hard so that I can try and give a better finish to India next time she saidBhaker admitted the fourthplace finish did leave her with a few aspects to work on as she now trains her focus on the 2028 Los Angeles OlympicsThe match was a rollercoaster for me The beginning was not so great but eventually I caught up with the others and I was trying my best I was like okay just do your best do your best keep trying keep trying each shot she sharedAlthough in the last I think the nerves got the better of me or what I dont know because I was trying but things were not going my way and unfortunately for us it was a fourth place finish but then a fourth finish is better than not even making it to finals she saidI am definitely looking forward to overcoming this in the next cycle and lets see how it goes for all of us Bhaker saidRecalling her rigid routine the 22yearold said I have a very rigid routine Every single day I follow the same pattern same things every day I dont know about others but I like to work out even during the matches even before the matches and after the matches all the time I am a regular in the gym she saidBhaker who had earlier hoped that people wont be disappointed or anything if she misses a third Paris Olympics 2024 medal said the remark was made off the recordThis one time I said it off the recordI have no regrets because I tried my best and I realised that there are certain elements that I need to work on and I will definitely try my best the next time around as well she saidAlso ReadHope is slowly fading away Babuta on lack of support from Punjab governmentAlthough this could have been better but I am grateful that I could get two medals for India but again always a scope for improvementI am also learning how to what to say and what not to say but I say whats in my heart and to all the people who are listening to this I want to tell them that I am really working hard and I will keep working hard for as many years as possible as many Olympics as possible she saidBhaker admitted her confidence in Paris Games was the differentiating factor when compared to the hard days she endured after the Tokyo OlympicsOne thing different that I think was like very prominent with my performances also and with my behaviour also was confidence she saidIn Tokyo I was not confident at all and I was kind of scared with everything But this time I feel much more confident and much more mature in terms of experience also a major major part of that would go to my coach because of him only I feel this confidentHe makes training so difficult for me that matches are like okay just deliver what you have learnt in training That is one major change and definitely experience it teaches every person a lot in life she saidWith agency inputs