Sift rediscovers rhythm after Paris heartbreak

Sift Kaur Samra had heard of post-Olympics hangover, from athletes and shooters "more experienced" than her who've been through it.

- Rutvick Mehta

MUMBAI: That normalcy takes time to return. That success there comes with an extended celebratory guarantee. That heartbreaks there take longer to heal.

Some of the country's finest shooters in the past have receded into a shell after being stung at an Olympics that did not go to plan. A few have faded into oblivion. Sift, among India's top medal hopes going into last year's Paris Olympics who crashed out in the 50m rifle 3 positions qualification round as the event's world record holder, sprung back by winning her first international tournament on return.

Her gold medal at the season-opening ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires earlier this month wasn't just a reinforcement of belief post the Paris blip, but also a reassurance that not every post-Games after-effect tale follows the same script.

"I've heard a lot of athletes say that it takes time to get back up after an Olympics setback. At one point I also thought in my mind that maybe that is indeed a fact," Sift told HT.