Rhythm Sangwan won the bronze medal in the 25m sports pistol event at the Asia qualifiers in Jakarta to secure a berth at the Paris Olympics. Sangwan along with this win hands over a record 16th Olympic quota at the Paris Olympics this year. With Rhythm’s bronze and quota, India have registered its highest-ever number of quotas for an Olympics. The previous best was 15 for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In Rhythm Sangwan’s Category, Yang Jiin of China won the gold with a score of 41, while Korea’s Kim Yeji came second with 32 points. Though Rhythm finished at 3rd with 28 points, it was enough to seal a Paris quota.
🥉🔫 @SangwanRhythm hits it for Bronze! 🌟
She clinches the 🏅and also secures an #Olympic Quota for 🇮🇳 at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in Jakarta! 🇮🇩This achievement also marks the highest ever, 16th Quota Place for 🇮🇳 in shooting – a historic milestone! 🎉👏… pic.twitter.com/oB0cWlIC4x
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) January 11, 2024
Rhythm also won a bronze in 10m event, where her counterpart Esha Singh clinched a gold. However only two quotas were available in 10m event for the Paris Olympics and as Rhythm couldn’t finish in top 2, she misses out in this category at Paris Olympics.
Rhytm Sangwan previously won gold medal in 25m team event at Asian Games 2023 along with Esha and Manu Bhaker.
The Midas Touch ft. @realmanubhaker, @singhesha10 & @SangwanRhythm 🙌
Here's the moment when the Indian National Anthem was played in Hangzhou when our girls clinched 🥇 #SonySportsNetwork #Cheer4India #IssBaar100Paar #Shooting #Hangzhou2022 | @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/l5vKcpEd1J
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 27, 2023
Rhythm Sangwan’s story
Rhythm Sangwan, 20, from Haryana, is not only a great in her profession, but also studious since her childhood. Sangwan had keen interest in taking up lawn tennis as a hobby, but her laziness demanded to shift her passion to Shooting.
In an interview with The Quint, Rhythm said, “My mother wanted me to pursue any sport. Not professionally, but just as a hobby. My interest was in lawn tennis, but it demanded enormous physical strength. Being a very lazy kid, I just was not made for it.”
Rhythm’s father Narender Kumar is a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) with Haryana Police, which helped her to overcome the fear and created an enthusiasm to pick up the gun. Rhythm first stepped into professional shooting at 13 and since then, it was a flurry of medals in her cabinet.
In 2017, Rhythm won four medals at the ISFF World Cup simultaneously won three medals at the ISFF World Shooting Championships. In the same year, she appeared for 12t board examinations and scored 95%.
