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SHOOTING: Pang Wei picks up hosts’ second gold of the Games

Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic prepares to shoot during the 10m air rifle women’s final at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall yesterday. PHOTO: EPA

Rising star Pang Wei added his name to the rich heritage of Chinese pistol shooters by cruising to the Olympic 10m title yesterday.

Pang, 22, the reigning world champion, finished four points ahead of silver-medalist Jin Jong-oh of South Korea at the Beijing Shooting Hall.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-su claimed the bronze medal, while American Jason Turner finished fourth after a shoot-out with compatriot Brian Beaman when both finished with identical scores.

Pang’s victory made amends for the embarrassing loss by compatriot Du Li earlier in the day. However, Pang said he had no idea that Du had failed to win a medal.

“I don’t know what happened in the morning because there is a bit of information control in our team,” he said. “You are encouraged not to worry about what the others are saying or doing. We have to focus on our own performance and this helps me to relax and not come under pressure.”

Pang, who won the world championships in Croatia in 2006, was the undisputed master of the show in the absence of two fancied Russians, Vladimir Gontcharov and Athens bronze-medalist Vladimir Isakov.

Isakov is competing in only the 50m Pistol event this time, while Gontcharovo did not make the trip to Beijing for unspecified reasons.

“Winning the world championships was important, but the Olympics is the highest level of sport when all eyes are on you,” Pang said. “It is difficult to control your emotions at the Olympics. It is such a great feeling to win.”

Pang’s victory was masterminded by legendary Chinese coach Wang Yifu, who won the same event in Athens four years ago before retiring to fulfill his dream of coaching the young home squad at the Olympics.

Pang could not have asked for a better mentor than Wang, who remains China’s most experienced Olympian in any sport with six successive appearances between 1984 and 2004.

Wang won two Olympic golds, three silvers and one bronze over the 20 years he competed.

■WOMEN’S 10M AIR RIFLE

AFP, BEIJING

Czech shooter Katerina Emmons overcame jittery nerves and a splitting headache to win the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics with a new Games record yesterday.

Emmons, 24, won the women’s 10m Air Rifle competition ahead of silver medalist Lioubov Galkina of Russia and third-placed Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia.

China’s Du Li, the Athens Olympics gold medalist, finished fifth, disappointing millions at home who expected her to produce the aoyun shoujin — first Olympic gold.

Li fled the hall in tears, refusing to speak to the large Chinese media contingent in the mixed zone.

She later told reporters: “I was satisfied by scoring 399 in the qualification round, but I was not fully prepared for the pressure of shooting in the final at home.”

The Chinese girl met the same fate as compatriot Zhao Yinghui, who was the favorite to win the first gold medal at Athens, but also failed to finish on the podium.

Emmons received her gold medal from International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, who was among the sell-out crowd of 5,000 at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.

Emmons, 24, who took the bronze in Athens, finished with 503.5 points to break Li’s Olympic record of 502 points set four years ago.

Emmons never looked back after setting a world record total of 400 in the qualification rounds before adding 103.5 points in the eight-woman final.

As soon as the event finished, Emmons ran into the arms of her American husband Matthew Emmons, himself a top shooter who won the Olympic gold in the 50m Rifle Prone event at Athens.

“Thank God it’s over because I was so nervous,” said the champion, who came second behind Li in the 2006 world championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

“I had a headache this morning. I felt so terrible that I did not know how I would shoot. So to win the first gold medal of this Olympics is pretty amazing,” she said.
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