Tokyo 2020 news - China's Yang Qian wins the first Olympics gold medal in women’s shooting in tense finale
Updated 24/07/2021 at 07:57 GMT
China won the first Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 with their final shot as 21-year-old Yang Qian held her nerve in a dramatic final round shoot-off in the 10m air rifle competition. Qian shot an Olympic record and wrote herself in the history books as she became the first Olympic champion of the Games.
China have won the first gold medal at Tokyo 2020 as Yang Qian, 21, shot a final Olympic record of 251.8.
Russia’s Anastasiia Galashina was made to settle for silver after a tense 25-shot shoot-out which saw Qian clinch gold with the final shot of the event.
Galashina finished on 251.1 after shooting a low 8.9 with her last and most crucial shot, the worst of the 25 she took in total.
Nina Christen of Switzerland completed the first podium line-up at this Games with a score of 230.6 and will collect bronze.
Oceanne Muller (FRA) finished fifth, with Mary Carolynn Tucker (USA) in sixth place, followed by South Korean pair Eunji Kwon and Heemoon Park finishing seventh and eighth respectively.
Earlier this morning, Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad set a new Qualifying Olympic Record as she registered 632.9 to lead the standings, but eventually missed out on a podium finish coming in fourth place.
Team GB’s Seonaid McIntosh finished 12th in the 10m air rifle, but will be back in action next weekend in the 50m Air Rifle 3 positions.
China will be looking to improve on their 2016 medal haul in Rio where they finished third overall behind USA and Great Britain with 71 medals in total, made up of 26 gold, 19 silver and 26 bronze medals.
Qian collected the first of seven available gold medals at the Games today. Others are up for grabs in Archery, Fencing, Judo, Road Cycling, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and the men's 10m air pistol event later on this morning.
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