CHATEAUROUX( WNAM MONITORING): World champion shooters Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao set off China’s Paris Olympics campaign to a golden start, winning the Games first gold medal with victory in the 10m air rifle mixed team event here on Saturday.
The Chinese teenage duo defeated Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun of South Korea 16-12 in the gold medal match at the Chateauroux Shooting Center. Earlier on Saturday, Kazakhstan’s Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev beat Germany’s Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich 17- 5 to claim the bronze medal.
The gold medal match was intense with China taking a 6-2 lead, but South Korea gawped closely behind. Chinese sharpshooters were once one-step away from the title at 14-8, but the South Koreans refused to give up, closing the gap to 14-12, thanks to a double 10.7 points.
Seeing the chance to equalize, Keum shot 10.5 and Park 10.6, putting pressure on the Chinese team. Sheng responded with a 10.7, leaving the final shot to Huang, who secured the victory with a 10.8.
The victory echoed China’s triumph in the event’s Olympic debut three years ago in Tokyo, where Yang Qian and Yang Haoran were crowned. After the win, the Chinese teenagers allowed themselves a moment of celebration, with Sheng raising his fist in response to their excited coach Yao Ye.
Despite their young age, 17-year-old Huang and 19- year-old Sheng entered the Paris Olympics as hot favorites, having been nearly unbeatable as a pair since 2023. They claimed gold at the 2023 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, and at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. They also set a new world junior qualification record with 635.1 points on their way to their fourth consecutive World Cup victory in Munich, Germany, in June before coming to Paris.
“The Olympic Games is a rare opportunity in life and also a chance. I must move forward bravely and seize this opportunity, staying persistent, determined, and not giving up during the process, leaving no regrets for myself,” Huang said after securing her berth for Paris 2024.
Sheng, meanwhile, is participating in his second Olympic Games, having become the youngest Olympic medalist with a silver in men’s 10m air rifle in Tokyo at the age of 16 years and 233 days.
In the qualification round, Huang demonstrated remarkable stability, averaging more than 10.5 points per shot. Sheng managed to overcome early fluctuations after a time-out, and the pair finished first with 632.2 points, just one point shy of the Olympic qualification record. ( XINHUA )
