Can Apurvi Chandela win a medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020?

Apurvi Chandela has been India's ace shooter in the 10m air rifle event for close to a decade. She has won medals for India at the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games as well as the ISSF World Cups.

In 2021, Chandela will set out to win at the competition where a medal has eluded her till now - the Olympics. But can she go all the way and claim victory at the Tokyo Olympics 2020? We analyze her chances in this article.

Apurvi Chandela's recent performances

Chandela's recent performances offer encouraging signs for India's medal prospects. She won two gold medals at the ISSF World Cups in 2019, in New Delhi and Munich. Her scores at these events were 252.9 and 251.0 respectively. The score of 252.9 set by Chandela at the New Delhi World Cup is a world record.

However, her outings at the two World Cups in 2021 have been average. She managed a 24th place finish at the ISSF World Cup in Osijek and a 26th place finish in New Delhi.

What a performance by Apurvi Chandela at the @ISSF_Shooting World Cup 2019 and a new #WorldRecord with a score of 252.9. Congratulations @apurvichandela you are a star ! @OfficialNRAI pic.twitter.com/TxKFwXXJWS

— Yashodhara Raje Scindia (@yashodhararaje) February 23, 2019

Challengers for Apurvi Chandela

The women's 10m air rifle event has a stern set of competitors at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. With many young shooters coming into the fray, the stage is set for anyone to claim podium places.

Among the favorites are the USA's Mary Tucker, who impressively won gold at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, Chinese Taipei's Ying-Shin Lin, 22-year-old Ruozhu Zhao from China, and India's Elavenil Valarivan.

Can Apurvi Chandela rise to the occasion and go all the way?

Chandela's primary goal will be to banish the ghosts of her last Olympic appearance and make it to the final of the event. Chandela will certainly be one of the most experienced shooters at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. She will be looking to use this experience, against her relatively new competitors, to win a podium place for India.