Archery
Olympics 2024: Indian Mixed Archery team falls short in Bronze medal play-off
Despite a historic semifinal run, the Indian mixed archery team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara fell short of a bronze medal.

Indian Mixed Archery team
The Indian mixed archery team, comprised of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara, experienced a hard-fought defeat against the USA in the bronze medal play-off at the Olympic Games, ending their historic run without a medal.
The duo lost 2-6 to the American pair of Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison in a closely contested match.
Despite their remarkable achievement of reaching the semifinals for the first time in Olympic history, Ankita and Dhiraj were unable to secure a podium finish.
The bronze medal match scores read 37-38, 35-37, 38-34, and 35-37 in favor of the Americans.
Earlier in the day, the Indian team faced a tough challenge in the semifinals against the formidable South Korean team of Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woo-jin.
Although Dhiraj and Ankita started strong, taking the first set 38-36, they eventually succumbed to the pressure, losing 2-6 in the four-set match (38-36, 35-38, 37-38, 38-39).
The semifinal clash saw an initial slip from Lim, who hit an 8-point red ring, and Kim missing a perfect 10, which allowed India to take the first set advantage.
However, the Koreans quickly regained their composure, with Kim delivering two 10s in the second set, pushing the match out of reach for the Indian duo.
Despite the losses, the Indian team's journey to the semifinals was marked by significant achievements.
They defeated Spain 5-3 (38-37, 38-38, 36-37, 37-36) in the quarterfinals, showcasing their resilience and skill. Ankita and Dhiraj took an early lead in the match, winning the first set 38-37, and held their nerves in the final set to secure their semifinal spot.
In their pre-quarterfinal match, the Indian recurve mixed team also performed admirably, overcoming Indonesia with a 5-1 (37-36, 38-38, 38-37) victory.