Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Elavenil Valarivan Wins Two Asian Games Silvers, Misses Gold
Elavenil Valarivan is an Indian shooter who competed in the 10m air rifle event.
She led for most of the final and stayed close to the gold medal until the end.
Japan’s Hinata Taichi won with 253.0 points, while Elavenil scored 252.4.
The difference was only 0.6 points.
One report highlighted her final two shots, while another described three late loose shots.
Elavenil said she became a little relaxed after knowing a medal was secure.
She also said her triggering, or releasing the shot, worked very well overall.
Earlier that day, she won team silver with Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod.
These were her first Asian Games medals after first competing in 2018.
Elavenil Valarivan won individual silver in the women’s 10m air rifle final.
She scored 252.4 points, finishing 0.6 behind Japan’s Hinata Taichi, who set an Asian Games record with 253.0.
Elavenil led for most of the final, but reports differ on whether two or three late shots changed the result.
She also won team silver with Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod.
The medals were Elavenil’s first at the Asian Games, eight years after her 2018 debut.
- Who
- Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan, Japan’s Hinata Taichi, and teammates Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod.
- What
- Elavenil won individual and team silver medals in the women’s 10m air rifle competitions.
- When
- Sunday, September 20, as reported in the articles.
- Where
- The Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Nagoya, Japan.
- Why
- She finished 0.6 points behind Hinata after lower-scoring shots late in the individual final.
Process-focused interpretation
Narrow gold-miss interpretation
Meaning of the result
Process-focused interpretation
Elavenil described the result as a learning process, said she had given her absolute best and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
Narrow gold-miss interpretation
She had led for most of the final and lost gold by only 0.6 points, making the result a close missed opportunity.
Cause of the outcome
Process-focused interpretation
Elavenil said she became somewhat relaxed after securing a medal and needed to improve her finals process and technique.
Narrow gold-miss interpretation
Reports emphasized the decisive late sequence, describing either her final two shots or three loose shots as changing the contest.
Technical assessment
Process-focused interpretation
Elavenil said her triggering worked well throughout qualification and the final and that she could take shots when she wanted.
Narrow gold-miss interpretation
A 10.1 on the 18th shot and the lower-scoring shots near the finish opened the way for Hinata to overtake her.
- Individual result
- Elavenil Valarivan won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle final.
- Final scores
- Elavenil scored 252.4 points; Hinata Taichi scored 253.0.
- Gold-medal margin
- Hinata finished 0.6 points ahead of Elavenil.
- Asian Games record
- Hinata’s winning score of 253.0 was reported as a new Asian Games record.
- Team result
- Elavenil, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod won team silver.
- First Games medal
- The individual and team silvers were Elavenil’s first medals at the Asian Games.
- Technical focus
- Elavenil said her triggering worked well and that she had trained to handle the tighter timing of finals.
