Elavenil Valarivan gave India a bright start with a gold in the women’s air rifle event of the Junior World Cup on Thursday. The Indian team, too, took the top spot.
After qualifying with a world junior record of 631.4 — an average of 10.5 over 60 shots — Elavenil won by a 1.1 point margin over Ying-Shin Lin of Chinese Taipei.
A member of the Gun For Glory centre, run by Olympic medallist Gagan Narang in Pune, Elavenil and fellow trainees Shreya Agrawal and Zeena Khitta helped India bag the team gold. Chinese Taipei finished second 7.3 points behind.
“The way I have been performing in the last few tournaments I saw this coming,” said Elavenil who dedicated her performance to her parents, Gagan Narang and the coaches at the academy.
“We always knew that she had the potential to be a world-beater. Her performance today has vindicated our trust,” said Gagan.
In men’s air rifle, Arjun Babuta won the bronze. In trap, Soumya Gupta finished fifth while the Indian team clinched the fourth spot.
India was second in the medals table with two gold and a bronze. China led with three gold.
The results: Men: 10m air rifle: 1. Liu Yuqi (Chn) 247.1 (623.8); 2. Zalan Pekler (Hun) 246.0 (623.6); 3. Arjun Babuta 226.3 (623.9).
Women: 10m air rifle: 1. Elavenil Valarivan 249.8 (631.4 WRJ); 2. Ying-Shin Lin (Tpe) 248.7 (629.7); 3. Wang Zeru (Chn) 228.4 (621.6). Team: 1. India 1876.5 (WRJ); 2. Chinese Taipei 1869.2; 3. China 1868.3.