Han Jiayu (L), Huang Yuting (C) of China and Ramita of India attend the awarding ceremony for the women's 10m air rifle shooting at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
China's Huang Yuting bagged the women's 10m air rifle individual gold and the event's team title with compatriots Han Jiayu and Wang Zhilin.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese shooters clinched two gold medals and one silver on Sunday, the first competition day after the 19th Asian Games officially opened, with the day's other three medals taken by India and Mongolia.
Han Jiayu, Huang Yuting, and Wang Zhilin, all hailing from Zhejiang, secured China's first shooting gold in the women's 10m air rifle team event with 1,896.6 points. Indian shooters followed with 1,886 points for silver, and Mongolia rounded out the podium with 1,880 points for bronze.
Huang, a rising star in the sport, captured the individual title with an Asian Games record of 252.7 points, while her teammate Han finished second with 251.3 points. India's Ramita secured the third spot with 230.1 points.
"I'm very happy. I didn't think about winning two gold medals. I am very surprised and honored to achieve these in my hometown," said 17-year-old Huang, who has her sights set on a potential third gold at the Asiad in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
"I feel like mentally I have overcome myself today. To be honest, I had a little bit ups and downs in mindset before the competition, but I managed to tune myself up and tried my best to do every detail right, which led to my success," she added.
Huang Yuting (L) and Han Jiayu compete in the final. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
Han, at 21 years of age, led the qualification round with a new Asian record of 634.1 points. Huang was close behind in third with 631.6 points.
Throughout the competition, Han maintained her momentum. After the initial five shots, Han was in the lead, with Huang and Mongolia's Yesugen Oyunbat in pursuit. However, Huang soon overtook her and held her position steadfastly through the elimination stage.
After 20 shots, Han, positioned in second, was just 0.4 points ahead of India's Ramita. Huang continued to lead with 210.4 points. In a subsequent shot, Ramita narrowed the gap with Han, setting the stage for an all-Chinese final.
"I'm very satisfied (with the silver) but I'll keep going for the next competition (50m rifle 3 positions on Wednesday)," Han commented.
Ramita also expressed contentment with her performance, stating, "It was the best result of my career, my first senior medal in shooting. I prepared very well, and I really enjoyed it," the 19-year-old said. ■
