Olympic shooting: Gagan Narang to take stance amid high expectations

Having clinched India's only medal at the 2012 London Olympics on Monday, shooter Gagan Narang will be back in action on Friday in the 50-metre rifle prone event at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London.Olympic shooting: Gagan Narang to take stance amid high expectations Narang clinched the 10-metre air rifle bronze medal behind Romanian Alin Moldoveanu and Italy's Niccolo Campriani, who took gold and silver, respectively.

Though the 50-metre rifle prone is not his pet event, the decorated shooter will look to become the first Indian to win two individual medals at the Games. Kolkata's Joydeep Karmakar, who will be making his Olympic debut, will also join him in the same event.

Expectations are riding high on Narang, who now has a medal from all events in his kitty but all from the 10metre air rifle event.

The roll of honour is unending: bronze at the 2010 World Championship, gold at the World Cup finals (2008), two World Cup golds (2006, 2009), three World Cup bronze (2008, 09, 10), silver (2007) and bronze (2012) in the Asian Championships and bronze (2006) and silver (2010) in the Asian Games.

But 50m prone will be a totally different ball game for Narang. He will be facing still challenge from Ukrainian Artur Ayvazyan, who will be looking to defend the gold medal he won four years ago in Beijing. Australian Warren Potent, bronze medallist in the Beijing Games, will also be seen in action.

American Matthew Emmons, champion in Athens and Beijing Games silver medallist, shall be missing in action since he is shooting only in the 10metre air rifle and the 50metre 3 position event this time.