Guo holds nerve to seal last-shot victory
Source: Agencies |
July 30, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's Guo Wenjun produced a near-perfect last shot to claim gold in the women's 10-meter air pistol, retaining her Olympic title in a topsy-turvy final of nerve-jangling shooting in London yesterday.
Guo's victory followed countrywoman Yi Siling's triumph on Saturday when she won the first gold of the Games in the 10m air rifle as China made a strong start to London 2012.
Guo finished with 488.1 points, with France's Celine Goberville claiming silver in a shootoff with Ukraine's Olena Kostevych after both finished on 486.6.
Guo threw her hands over her face in disbelief after scoring a 10.8 - just shy of the maximum 10.9 - to overhaul Goberville, who held a 0.5-point advantage going into the 10th and decisive round. The 25-year-old Frenchwoman was only able to muster a disappointing 8.8 with her final effort.
"I just focused on doing my best with the final shot," an elated Guo said. "It means I'm the best. I am so excited."
The 28-year-old Chinese had topped the qualifying with a score of 388 out of 400 from her 40 shots to reach the eight-woman final at the Royal Artillery Barracks in southeast London, but began the final nervously.
In front of a packed crowd in the indoor shooting range, the Chinese fired a woeful 8 to open the door to her European counterparts, who both finished with 387 in qualifying.
Kostevych, the 2004 Athens Games gold medalist, then took surged after the first round with a 10.1 and she shared the lead with Guo and Goberville after the second. Guo and Goberville then exchanged the lead, with the Chinese struggling to replicate the latter's consistency.
Goberville reeled off five scores of 10.1 or better to take a 0.5-point advantage into the final round, only to produce her worst shot of the day, an 8.8, to surrender the lead.
Guo's victory followed countrywoman Yi Siling's triumph on Saturday when she won the first gold of the Games in the 10m air rifle as China made a strong start to London 2012.
Guo finished with 488.1 points, with France's Celine Goberville claiming silver in a shootoff with Ukraine's Olena Kostevych after both finished on 486.6.
Guo threw her hands over her face in disbelief after scoring a 10.8 - just shy of the maximum 10.9 - to overhaul Goberville, who held a 0.5-point advantage going into the 10th and decisive round. The 25-year-old Frenchwoman was only able to muster a disappointing 8.8 with her final effort.
"I just focused on doing my best with the final shot," an elated Guo said. "It means I'm the best. I am so excited."
The 28-year-old Chinese had topped the qualifying with a score of 388 out of 400 from her 40 shots to reach the eight-woman final at the Royal Artillery Barracks in southeast London, but began the final nervously.
In front of a packed crowd in the indoor shooting range, the Chinese fired a woeful 8 to open the door to her European counterparts, who both finished with 387 in qualifying.
Kostevych, the 2004 Athens Games gold medalist, then took surged after the first round with a 10.1 and she shared the lead with Guo and Goberville after the second. Guo and Goberville then exchanged the lead, with the Chinese struggling to replicate the latter's consistency.
Goberville reeled off five scores of 10.1 or better to take a 0.5-point advantage into the final round, only to produce her worst shot of the day, an 8.8, to surrender the lead.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
