New Delhi: Three medals at the Paris Olympics have given the Indian shooting team reason to think big. An ambitious target of six medals has been set by the National Rifle Association of India for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The first step of that journey begins this year with the battle to secure quotas at the World Championships in Doha. For the Paris Olympics, Indian shooters secured 22 quotas. This time, the target has been raised to win all 24 available quotas, which would be more opportunities to reach finals and convert the chances into medals.

A process-driven pathway will guide the shooters towards the goal, says India’s high-performance director Pierre Beauchamp on the strategic roadmap charted out for Indian shooters.

“We’d like 40% to qualify for finals and 60% to qualify for medals (for LA Olympics). So we use that 40-60 benchmark. We want to stretch the minds of our athletes to what is possible,” Beauchamp told HT.

Beauchamp has been conducting workshops with athletes and coaches, detailing his high performance vision for the Olympic cycle and how to implement it. “In an athlete-centered, coach-led environment, coaches play an important role of communicating with the athlete.”

Chasing world record scores — not medals or quotas — will be the way forward. Beauchamp believes a shift in mindset is needed to pursue excellence, and that medals will follow naturally. Drawing on his long experience working in Canada and Russia, Beauchamp joined the Indian team in 2022 and introduced sports science–based, data-driven approach to training.

“I want our young athletes not just thinking about medals, but to think about breaking world records. That’s the focus. When you have high and achievable goals, you usually hit a star along the way. So this is what I meant by stretching limits,” said Beauchamp. “So this is why we have national squad camps to change the mindset of our young athletes, to change the mindset of our coaches and show them that there is maybe another way.”

Indian shooters registered their best performance at the ISSF World Championships (rifle/pistol) in Cairo, winning seven medals in Olympic disciplines from 12 finalists in individual and team events. That’s a conversion rate of sixty percent.

“We have done it in the world championships. We need the strategies to implement so that in four years, by the time we get to the Olympics, we are the leading country,” he said. “We were successful last time in getting 22 quotas for the Paris Olympics. China also got 22. That was a big step forward. Now we need to up our game in all areas by setting high and difficult goals.”

China won 10 medals including five gold from shooting at the Paris Olympics.

Creating a unified team culture will be crucial to sustaining high performance. Beauchamp has also held meetings with coaches, sports science team and other stakeholders, including SAI and sponsors, to ensure everyone is aligned.

“The motivational climate is much higher when you have a one-team culture. That, by itself, enhances performance,” he said. “If athletes and coaches are in their own corners, in a non-performing environment, that does not aid performance.”

With the Asian Games and World Championships — both offering LA quotas — scheduled this year, the shooting team is aiming to peak twice during the season.

“We had a meeting with the coaches about recovery and the importance of recovery leading up to those two peaks,” Beauchamp said. “All coaches have to help athletes manage load, intensity and volume.”

Another major change will be the introduction of individualised training plans for each shooter. While the NRAI had allowed personal coaches to travel with athletes in the build-up to Paris, Beauchamp said the next cycle will demand more tailored preparation.

“In this cycle, we want to build individualised training plans for every athlete. There are no two athletes who are the same,” he said. “An Olympic medalist trains one way. A 17-year-old on the team needs something different. We have to adapt and adjust plans based on key performance indicators.”

Emphasis on sports science and structured annual planning have helped the team improve at the 2022 Asian Games and Paris Olympics.

“When I came here, it was about converting. I was told athletes could make finals, but they never ended up getting medals,” he said. “I think we have an unbelievable talent pool — young people who want to work hard and achieve.”