Sat, August 09, 2008
BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Czech markswoman Katerina Emmons led all the way to snatch the gold medal in women's 10-meter air rifle, the first gold of the 29th Olympics.
Emmons' wining total of 503.5 points also broke the Olympic record of 502.
Among the slowest to finish, the 25-year-old blonde equalled world record of qualification round with a perfect 400 points.
In the ten-shot final, she did well at the beginning but lapsed at the third shot with a lowest 9.7 points.
However, the Athens Olympic bronze medalist managed to adjust herself quickly to follow with a 10.9, which incurred thunderous applauses.
Always the last to open fire, Emmons scored the following five shots above ten.
Although she finished her impressive performance with a 9.9 at last shot, it was high enough to ensure her a first Olympic gold.
Sheding tears in excitement, the pretty shooter turned around to embrace and kiss her husband, American shooter and Olympic champion Matthew Emmons, who had been watching behind her throughout the qualification and the final.
The silver medal was grabbed by famous Russian shooter Lioubov Galkina with 502.1 points after a seesaw battle with Croatian rising star Snjezana Pejcic. The latter settled for a bronze with 500.9 points.
Chinese shooter Du Li, Athens Olympic champion and former Olympic record holder, seemed not in the shape and finished a disappointing fifth with 499.6 points.
