Two silvers, one agonizing miss: Elavenil Valarivan reveals what went wrong as late slip-up costs her Asian Games gold

Elavenil Valarivan celebrates winning the silver medal. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Elavenil Valarivan walked away from the Asian Games range with two silver medals on Sunday, but there was also an uneasy feeling of what might have happened after the Indian shooter let a commanding lead slip away in the closing stages of the women’s 10m individual air rifle event.The 27-year-old looked firmly on course for gold after building a lead of almost 1.5 points, but three dropped shots towards the end changed the complexion of the final. Japan’s Taichi Hinata eventually held her nerve to win gold with an Asian Games record 253.0, while Elavenil settled for silver with 252.4. South Korean Ban Hyojin took the bronze with 230.4.“I relaxed a bit. I think I really need to work on my final,” said Elavenil after the final.“I knew I was in the top three. Even though I was getting back to focusing on my progress and technique, I relaxed a bit. Once the medal was certain, the pressure eased. It was more about making my progress a little easier,” she added.

From gold in sight to more silver

Elavenil was still only 0.3 points behind Hinata heading into the last two shots. She managed 10.4 against the Japanese shooter’s 10.6, with the deficit growing to 0.5. Elavenil then scored a 10.1 on her final attempt, while Hinata responded with a 10.2 to seal the gold by 0.6 points.Instead of dwelling on the missed opportunity, Elavenil saw the experience as another lesson.“I felt I gave my best,” she said. “I think it’s all a learning process.“After Paris, it was like that and I’m very grateful that I was given a lot of opportunities to learn and experiment and reach my full potential,” she said.The silver was her second medal of the day after she had earlier combined with Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod to win the silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event. The Indian trio finished with 1,898 points behind gold medalists China, while Japan was fourth.Elavenil was India’s standout performer in the team competition with a score of 633.5 to qualify for the individual finals. Sonam also reached the final, finishing sixth with 167.0.

India’s Vidarsa Vinod, Sonam Maskar and Elavenil Valarivan pose for photographers. (PTI Photo)

Two silvers, a medal milestone

The double silver marked a significant milestone for Elavenil, who had been waiting eight years for an Asian Games medal since her debut at Jakarta 2018.“The first conversation we had with the coach was that it had been eight years since my first Asian Games to my second,” she said.“It was more about being very grateful to be given the opportunity to be part of the contingent and represent my country.Her coach Neha Chavan was not in Nagoya, but sent her a message before the competition: “You have trained to the best of your ability. There is nothing more you can do on this given day. All I wish for you is to stick to your technique, believe in yourself and be brave as you always have been.”“I’m very grateful to have her by my side all the time, even when she’s not there,” Elavenil said.The two medals also provided an early boost to India’s shooting campaign. “I think it’s going to boost the whole team. Knowing that we got two medals on the first day, going from there, I think it is,” she said.And after the disappointment of missing gold, her immediate priority was refreshingly simple.“I think rest and recovery will be next. I miss my bed terribly,” she said with a laugh. “I want to come back and celebrate with my coaches and teammates.