Swapnil Kusale, a humble railway clerk, has scripted a remarkable journey to the Olympic podium. The Maharashtra native clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kusale advanced to the final round after finishing 7th with a total score of 590.
Born in 1995, Swapnil comes from a modest agricultural background and works as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Pune Railway Division.
His sports journey began in 2009 when his father enrolled him in Maharashtra's Krida Prabodhini, a government program aimed at nurturing young talent. After a year of intensive physical training, Kusale chose shooting as his sport. This decision proved fortuitous as he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a sponsored athlete under the Lakshya Sports banner in 2013.
Swapnil's early promise was evident when he won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 positions junior category at the 2015 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. This victory was followed by a stellar performance at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, where he outshone seasoned shooters like Gagan Narang and Chain Singh to win gold in the 50m rifle prone event.
He continued his success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, securing another gold in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
Swapnil continued to build on his achievements, earning an Olympic quota for India with a fourth-place finish at the 2022 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Cairo. During the same competition, he also helped secure a team bronze medal, highlighting his versatility and team spirit.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, he, along with teammates Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran, won the team gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event.
Although he narrowly missed an individual medal, finishing fourth, Swapnil's performance solidified his status as one of India's top shooters.
In addition to his team successes, Swapnil has also earned individual accolades, including a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championships and a gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team event at the 2024 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships.