Meet Suruchi Phogat, the 19-year-old shooter emerging as India's new hope
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After Manu Bhaker made headlines by becoming the first Indian shooter to win two Olympics medals in Paris last year, the country has found a new top gun in 19-year-old Suruchi Phogat Phogat secured her third consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in the 10m air pistol event in Munich on Friday, narrowly beating Paris Olympics silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski (241.9-241.7).China's Qianxun Yao finished with the bronze (221.7).Phogat was trailing by 0.5 going into the final two shots but surged forward with a decisive 10.5 to win. She previously secured back-to-back golds in Buenos Aires and Lima, edging out compatriot Manu Bhaker in the Peru final.Phogat was also a key part of India's 10m air pistol mixed team, which won a bronze in Buenos Aires and a gold in Lima. She has maintained a remarkable record of making the podium in every World Cup event she has entered."This third successive gold medal is the toughest of all as it was a high-and-low final for me and taught me a lot of things," Phogat told the Indian Express. "Things did not work my way midway in the final. I guess my hands were a bit tired... I had to make some adjustments and I'm glad to win this title here in Munich."India's chief pistol coach Samresh Jung said Phogat's tough final will help her grow mentally. "Shooters have to go through every phase and it should have taught her a lot of things," Jung told the Indian Express."In the second series, she only had one bad shot and did not drop much in terms of other four shots and the same with the elimination shot," Jung added.
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