How Dheeraj Bommadevara lost by ‘2.4 cm’ in archery RO 32 at Paris Olympics

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.