Two female shooting sport athletes who produced historic performances at Paris 2024, Manu Bhaker of India (pictured) and Adriana Ruano Oliva of Guatemala, carried their country’s respective flags in tonight’s Closing Ceremony at the Stade de France.
Also honoured with this task were the Serbian pairing of Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mecic, who earned an exuberant 16-14 victory over Turkey’s Sevval Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec to take the 10m air pistol mixed team title, and Yemen’s 38-year-old Yasameen Al Raimi.
Bhaker, 22, became the first Indian woman to earn an Olympic shooting sport medal when she took bronze in the 10m air pistol women final, adding a second in partnership with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team even
A gold medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympics, Bhaker was the only woman shooting sport athlete to be chosen for more than one individual event by India at the Paris 2024 Games – she also competed in the 25m pistol, where she missed a third medal by one place.
Ruano Oliva became Guatemala’s first Olympic gold medallist, earning its third Games medal of any hue, by winning the trap women event with an Olympic record of 45 out of 50.
The 29-year-old former gymnast’s triumph came just a day after her 41-year-old team-mate Jean Pierre Brol Cardenas had won Paris 2024 bronze in the trap men event, securing what was only his country’s second Olympic medal following Erick Barrondo's silver in the men’s 20km walk at London 2012.
Ruano, who finished 26th in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, took up shooting sport after getting a first close view of it during the Rio 2016 Games, where she served as a volunteer. Now she has extended her Olympic experience still further.
Bhaker had confirmed the news on her social media page, and thanked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for choosing her.
“It is an honour and privilege to be named as India's flag-bearer for the Closing Ceremony of the Paris Olympics,” she said.
“Leading the outstanding Indian contingent with the tricolour in my hands with millions around the world watching is a truly humbling opportunity and one that I will cherish forever. I am grateful to The IOA for considering me worthy of this honour, and I look forward to raising the Indian flag with immense pride. Jai Hind!”
Bhaker was accompanied in her duties by the celebrated hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, member of the men’s team that won bronze in Paris, who plans to retire after these Games aged 36.
Shooting sport athletes contributed half of India’s medal total of six at the Paris 2024, with Swapnil Kusale finishing third in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event.
The other two medals were silver, earned by the defending men’s javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, and bronze, secured by Aman Sehrawat in the men’s freestyle 57kg wrestling.
At the Tokyo 2020 Games Arunovic, 37, and Mikec, 40, had finished in the cruellest of positions – fourth. After coming from behind to claim gold their jubilation knew no bounds and both were soon on the floor of the Chateautearoux Shooting Centre…
Al Raimi finished 40th in the 10m air pistol women, three years after 52nd place in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, which took part using a parade of boats on the River Seine on July 26, featured two other shooting sport athletes – Finland’s Eetu Kallioinen and Nina Christen of Switzerland.
The Closing Ceremony was a more traditional affair in the Stade de France, venue for the Sevens Rugby won by the hosts and track and field athletics during this year’s Games.
The ceremony included a parade of the flags of the nations, the athletes' parade and the handover of the Olympic flag to the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee.
Among the other athletes due to be taking part were nine-times gold medallist swimmer Katie Ledecky of the United States and French Sevens Rugby star Antoine Dupont.