Chateauroux, Jul 31 (IANS): India's Swapnil Kusale qualified for the 50m Rifle 3 Positions men's final after finishing seventh in qualifications at the Paris Olympics.

Kusale scored a total of 590, including 38 inner 10s, in the 60-shot qualifying round.

He began with two impressive scores of 99 in the kneeling position, setting a solid foundation. He maintained his form in the prone position, scoring 98 and 99. Despite a slight dip in the final standing position, where he posted scores of 98 and 97, Kusale's overall tally was enough to secure his place in the final.

On the other hand, fellow Indian shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar narrowly missed out on a spot in the final. Tomar ended the qualification round in 11th place with 589 points (with 33 inner 10s).

Tomar was in contention for a top-eight finish until a challenging first series in the standing position, where he scored 95, ultimately derailed his chances.

The qualification round was dominated by China's Liu Yukun, who set an Olympic qualification record with an impressive score of 594. However, in a surprising turn of events, his compatriot Du Linshu, who holds the World qualification record, failed to make the final cut.