Elavenil Valarivan Reflects on Silver Medal Performance at 2026 Asian Games
Elavenil Valarivan's Journey in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Event
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan - On September 20, Elavenil Valarivan, who has already secured two silver medals at the ongoing 2026 Asian Games, shared her thoughts on the women's 10m Air Rifle individual final. She expressed that she could have made more strategic choices during her final shots, which ultimately cost her the gold medal. However, she emphasized her focus on learning from the experience.
The women's 10m Air Rifle competition marked a successful start for India on the first full day of events, with Valarivan earning silver in the individual category. Additionally, she teamed up with Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod to secure another silver in the team event.
In the individual final, Valarivan finished with 252.4 points, just behind Japan's Hinata Taichi, who won gold with 253.0 points. South Korea's Ban Hyojin took home the bronze with a score of 230.4 points.
During a virtual press conference, Valarivan reflected on her performance, admitting that better decision-making in her last three shots could have changed the outcome. She noted that patience and improved breathing techniques might have enhanced her performance under pressure.
"There are many things I could have approached differently, but right now, I'm focusing on the lessons learned. I recognize that I could have made better choices, which I didn't, and that's what I'm taking away from those last three shots," she stated.
Valarivan entered the final with confidence, leading after the first series with a score of 53.1. Her fellow competitor, Sonam Maskar, finished her opening series with 52.1, placing her seventh.
After ten shots, Valarivan maintained her lead with a score of 106.0, while Sonam was in joint fifth place with 104.2.
As the elimination rounds commenced, Valarivan continued her strong performance, scoring 10.6 on her first shot and following it with a 10.3. Sonam also performed well, achieving scores of 10.6 and 10.7. After twelve shots, Valarivan led with 126.9 points, while Sonam was fourth with 125.5.
Valarivan kept her momentum in the final stages, hitting scores of 10.8 and 10.7, extending her lead to 148.4 after fourteen shots. Sonam was fourth at that point with 146.6.
In the subsequent series, Valarivan scored 10.7 and 10.5, maintaining her top position, while Sonam's scores of 9.9 and 10.5 led her to finish sixth.
Continuing her excellent run, Valarivan scored 10.6 in her 17th shot and 10.1 in her 18th, leading with 190.3 points. After twenty shots, she held a score of 211.1, closely followed by Hinata at 210.8.
After the 21st shot, Valarivan was still in contention, scoring 10.5, but Hinata and Ban Hyojin kept the pressure on. After 22 shots, Valarivan slipped to second place with 231.9 points, just behind Hinata's 232.2.
In the final shot, Valarivan scored 10.1, while Hinata secured the gold with a score of 10.2, leaving Valarivan with the silver medal after a commendable performance.
The ongoing Asian Games have faced criticism due to accommodation issues for Indian athletes in Aichi-Nagoya. Valarivan acknowledged these challenges but emphasized her commitment to blocking out distractions and focusing on her training and technique once on the shooting range.
"As shooters, we train to block out everything else when we are on the lane. Yes, there were several issues with the arrangements upon our arrival in Nagoya. However, my primary goal was to execute what I have been training for over the past few months, and I aimed to adhere to my technique. Anything outside of that is merely a distraction. Once I am on the lane, my focus is solely on how effectively I can follow my process and return to it whenever I feel distracted," she concluded.