Sometimes, we say that an athlete loses by an inch. This time, it was almost literally the case. India’s archer, Dheeraj Bommadevara, narrowly missed out on a pre-quarterfinal spot in the men’s individual archery event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He lost by a margin of just 2.4 centimetres, as opposed to the commonly used figurative “inch.”
Despite a brilliant performance, the 22-year-old Indian archer lost 6-5 to Canada’s Eric Peters in the round of 32 after a shoot-off at Les Invalides on Tuesday. The match was a nail-biter from start to finish.
The intense set-by-set game
Dheeraj started strong, winning the first set with a score of 27-28, leading Peters 2-0. However, the second set didn’t go as well for Dheeraj. He scored 9, 9, and 10, while Peters scored 9, 10, and 10, levelling the score at 2-2.
In the third set, Dheeraj regained his form. He scored 10, 9, and 10, whereas Peters only managed three 9s. Dheeraj won the set by 2 points, leading 4-2.
Tension builds
As the competition intensified, the fourth set saw both archers score perfect 10s, resulting in a tie at 30-30. Dheeraj led Peters 5-3 after this set.
The final set was the climax of the match. Peters scored three perfect 10s, while Dheeraj scored two 10s and a 9. If Dheeraj had scored one more perfect 10, the outcome might have been different.
The Shoot-Off
The match ended in a 5-5 tie after five sets, leading to a shoot-off. In the decisive shoot-off, Peters scored a perfect 10, and despite Dheeraj’s excellent effort with a 10, Peters won by his arrow being closer to the centre. The difference was a mere 2.4 centimetres.
This close margin meant a heart-wrenching end for Dheeraj. Despite his remarkable performance, he fell just short of advancing further. This evening will be a tough one for the Indian archer, marked by an exceptionally narrow defeat.
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