Bhaker concluded the Olympics in fourth place, making history as the first Indian to win two medals in a single Games edition after Independence.
Bhaker, who finished with a score of 28 in the shoot-off, stated that the experience will only give her more “motivation” and skills.
“Did I? No, I don’t think I did because as soon as the last matches were over, my coach was like, ‘You know what? history is history. Now live in the present and then later on you can sit down and think about how everything went’,” Bhaker said at the mixed zone in Chateauroux, as per PTI.
“Jaspal sir, he does a great job in keeping me in the present. There was no such pressure of winning a third medal but I definitely wanted to do my best and try to give a, like great match, that’s all I was trying and well…,” Bhaker added.
“The fourth position definitely does not feel amazing but there is always a next time and certainly it is going to be there for me.”
“Now I have two medals and lots of motivation to work on for the next time, I will try my best and work really hard so that I can try and give a better finish to India next time,” she said.
As Bhaker trains for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, she acknowledged that her fourth-place result did leave her with several areas still needing improvement.
“The match was a rollercoaster for me. (The) beginning was not so great but eventually I caught up with the others and I was trying my best. I was like ‘okay, just do your best, do your best, keep trying, keep trying each shot’,” she shared.
“Although in the last, I think the nerves got the better of me or what – I don’t know because I was trying but things were not going my way – and unfortunately for us it was a fourth (place) finish, but (then a) fourth finish is better than not even making it to finals,” she said.
“I am definitely looking forward to overcoming this in the next cycle and let’s see how it goes for all of us,” Bhaker said.
Recalling her rigid routine, the 22-year-old said, “I have a very rigid routine. Every single day I follow the same pattern, same things every day. I don’t know about others but I like to work out even during the matches, even before the matches (and) after the matches, all the time. I am a regular in the gym,” she said.
Bhaker, who had earlier hoped that people won’t be “disappointed or anything” if she misses a third medal, said the remark was made “off the record”.
“This one time I said it off the record…”
“I have no regrets because I tried my best and I realised that there are certain elements that I need to work on and I will definitely try my best the next time around as well,” she said.
“Although this could have been better, but I am grateful that I could get two medals for India, but again, always a scope for improvement.
“I am also learning how to, what to say and what not to say, but I say what’s in my heart and to all the people who are listening to this I want to tell them that I am really working hard and I will keep working hard for as many years as possible, as many Olympics as possible,” she said.
When compared to the difficult days she had following the Tokyo Olympics, Bhaker acknowledged that her confidence at the Paris Games was the differentiating factor.
“One thing different, that I think was like very prominent with my performances also and with my behaviour also was confidence,” she said.
“(In) Tokyo I was not confident at all and I was kind of scared with everything. But this time, I feel much more confident and much more mature in terms of experience, also (a) major, major part of that would go to my coach because of him only I feel this confident.”
“He makes training so difficult for me that matches are like okay, just deliver what you have learnt in training. That is one major change and definitely experience, it teaches every person a lot in life,” she said.