Tokyo Olympics 2020, Form Guide: Tracking Apurvi Chandela's performances over last two years

Editor’s Note: For five years now, Indian athletes have been dreaming to make up for the disappointment of a two-medal haul in Rio. The span has been extraordinary, with COVID-19 having thrown their preparations - and the Olympics itself - off gear. However, in true Olympic spirit, the country’s finest sportspersons have battled form and uncertainty to put their best foot forward in what promises to be a Games like none other. In our latest series, we track the last two years’ performances of our athletes to give you a ready guide to their form leading into the biggest sporting spectacle of the world. With the Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, Firstpost takes a quick look at three-time ISSF World Cup gold medallist Apurvi Chandela, and charts her journey towards securing Olympic qualification: The talented and experienced Apurvi Chandela qualified for Tokyo 2020  by finishing fourth in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Championship, an Olympic qualifying quota event, in September 2018 in Changwon, South Korea. She was one of the first two Indians along with Anjum Moudgil to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. She shot a total of 207 to finish fourth and make a cut for the mega event. Chandela had a brilliant 2019 as she won two golds and a silver in the World Cups, setting records along the way.  She set the finals world record in women's 10m air rifle  with a score of 252.9 at the New Delhi World Cup in February 2019 and then won another gold at the World Cup in Munich in May after shooting 251 in the final. She also won 10m air rifle silver in the mixed team event in Munich teaming up with Deepak Kumar. She was  the top ranked shooter from May to December 2019, and followed it up  with a gold in 10m air rifle mixed team, teaming up with Deepak to beat China’s Quian Yang and Yu Hoanan 16-6 in the final at the Rio World Cup in September 2019. However, after return to the range post-lockdown in 2021, she hasn’t had a great time. Chandela struggled at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, finishing 26th among 48 shooters in the qualification round with a middling score of 622.8. Earlier, she had a mediocre outing at the selection trials as well in New Delhi where she shot 625.9, 624.5, 621.3, 623.2. The scores had slumped. According to a report in The Indian Express, Chandela worked hard on her fitness during lockdown and while her strength increased, she lost seven kilos in the process which wasn’t the goal. One of the reasons for her struggles was the ill-fitting shooting kit, something which is crucial for the shooters. They are usually imported from Germany. Due to reduced weight, the shooting kit was of no use to Chandela and due to COVID-19 restrictions, she couldn’t import a new one. So she had to make us of local kit. The tough times continued as she tested positive for COVID-19 in May this year amidst the second wave in India. However, she fully recovered quickly and then left for the training camp held in Zagreb with the Indian shooting team. Chandela endured a 24th place finish in the Osijek World Cup recently. Click here to check out form guides for the rest of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.