There was a lot of pressure. The goal was always to win the gold medal. I never thought about settling for bronze or silver. And during my preparation also, the gold was always in the mind. For the pressure situation, we practiced breathing patterns — the 4:8 pattern — and followed that. When we take a shot, in my mind, I am just thinking about doing my best in that particular shot and leaving the rest to fate. You can’t control the result. Shooting is a kind of sport where you have to be patient. You can’t react. You can’t speak. It’s inherent in the nature of the sport that you stay calm, says Manu Bhaker.
