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Olympics: Chinese shooter Yang wins first gold medal of Tokyo Olympics

China's Yang Qian has won the first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle competition.

yang qian tokyo olympics first gold medal
Gold medal winner China's Yang Qian celebrates on the podium after winning the women's 10m air rifle final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Asaka Shooting Range in the Nerima district of Tokyo on Jul 24, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Tauseef Mustafa)
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TOKYO: China's Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle competition on Saturday (Jul 24).

The silver went to Russian shooter Anastasiia Galashina and the bronze medal went to Switzerland's Nina Christen.

Galashina led the race for the gold in the final until she cracked under pressure and signed off with her lowest score of 8.9 for a total of 251.1.

Yang responded to the pressure by firing 9.8 to snatch the gold with an Olympic record of 251.8.

Norwegian Jeanette Hegg Duestad had set an Olympic qualifying record of 632.9 to reach the final but finished just outside the medals.

Shooting - Women's 10m Air Rifle - Qualification
China's Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle competition on Jul 24, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Ann Wang)

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The event took place the morning after the Olympics opened in a nearly empty stadium, following an unprecedented postponement and a build-up marred by scandal and controversy.

The first medal ceremony of the Games saw Yang presented with her gold by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.

olympics shooting yang qian gold medal
Gold medal winner China's Yang Qian (centre) poses on the podium with Russia's Anastasiia Galashina (L) and Switzerland's Nina Christen, after winning the women's 10m air rifle final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Jul 24, 2021. (AFP/Tauseef Mustafa)

Yang draped the medal around her neck after being handed the gold on a tray offered by Bach, in keeping with COVID-19 protocols in place at the Games.

With fans barred from venues, only a handful of Chinese support staff were on hand to congratulate Yang after the win.

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Source: Agencies/aj