Paris Olympics 2024: Indian mixed archery team finishes fourth after narrow defeat to USA

The Indian mixed archery team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara came heartbreakingly close to ending India's 36-year wait for an Olympic medal in archery, ultimately finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

The duo made history by advancing to the semifinals, marking the first time an Indian team reached this stage in the Summer Games. However, they fell short in the bronze medal match, losing 2-6 (37-38, 35-37, 38-34, 35-37) to the American team of world no.1 Casey Kaufhold and three-time Olympic medallist Brady Ellison.

Ankita struggled under pressure, firing two 7s and only managing a couple of 10s throughout the four sets. Despite trailing 0-4, the Indian team rallied in the third set with all their arrows landing in the yellow zone, while Casey Kaufhold faltered slightly, shooting a 7. However, the comeback was not enough to secure victory.

Dhiraj Bommadevara was the more consistent of the two, shooting four 10s, while Ankita, who had excelled in the semifinals against South Korea, delivered a subpar performance, including two 8s, which ultimately cost India the match.

In the semifinal, Dhiraj and Ankita lost 2-6 (38-36, 35-38, 37-38, 38-39) to defending champions South Korea. Despite the loss, the Indians managed to win one set against the top-ranked team. The Korean team, comprising Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woo-jin, recovered from a poor start to dominate the remaining sets.

Although they missed out on a medal, the Indian team delivered one of their most memorable performances by reaching the semifinals. They secured their spot in the last four by defeating Spain 5-3 (38-37, 38-38, 36-37, 37-36) in the quarterfinals. Ankita and Dhiraj won the first set with two 10s and two 9s, and despite a strong challenge from the Spanish duo of Elia Canales and Pablo Acha Gonzalez, held their nerves to win the fourth set and clinch a place in the semifinals.

In their opening match, the Indian team comfortably defeated Indonesia 5-1 (37-36, 38-38, 38-37).