Shooting straight to the top

Editor's note: With the Olympic stage set, and golden glory beckoning, Chinese athletes have been going all-out to ensure it will be a medal-laden campaign at Paris 2024.

The Chinese shooting team is loaded with confidence to get the delegation off to a flying start at the Olympics again by claiming the first gold medal up for grabs in Paris.

The team is preparing for an intense competition at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, located 270 kilometers outside the French metropolis.

With the 10m air rifle mixed team event kicking off on the morning of July 27, the shooters will miss the grand opening ceremony on the Seine. However, this youthful and dynamic squad is primed and ready to continue the nation's winning streak on the Olympic stage.

Winning the first gold medal at the Olympics has always been a top priority for Chinese athletes. In Paris, the first gold is expected to be awarded in either the 10m air rifle mixed team shooting event or the women's synchronized 3m springboard diving event, with the shooting event the most likely candidate.

The Chinese shooting team, with a full quota for the mixed team air rifle event, will field the duo of Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao alongside that of Han Jiayu and Du Linshu as a "double insurance "strategy to clinch Team China's first gold and continue the proud tradition of the Chinese shooting team.

Historically, it's awarded in the women's 10m air rifle event, a traditional stronghold for China. Du Li at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yi Siling at the 2012 London Olympics, and Yang Qian at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics all secured the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation.

The 10m mixed team air rifle event, introduced in Tokyo, saw China's Yang Qian and Yang Haoran win gold. This year, the duo did not make the roster, with Huang and Sheng now the nation's top sharpshooters.

Huang and Sheng have excelled throughout the current Olympic cycle, winning at the World Cup, the World Championships and the Hangzhou Asian Games. In 2021, in the men's 10m air rifle final at the Tokyo Olympics, Sheng won the silver medal with a score of 250.9 points, becoming the youngest medalist in Olympic shooting history at the age of 16 years old.

His experiences during the Paris cycle have honed his psychological and technical skills to a mature and stable level. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Huang has shown rapid growth and consistent performance. Their partnership has become highly coordinated, making them a formidable team.

The other Chinese pair, Han and Du Linshu, are also young talents. Throughout the current Olympic cycle, they have excelled on the tournament circuit and both athletes are versatile shooters, competing in the mixed team event, as well as each respectively competing in men's and women's 10m air rifle, and men's and women's 50m rifle three positions.

Xu Haifeng, China's first Olympic gold medalist, told Lightning Sports: "As with previous Olympics, the responsibility for the first gold medal in Paris falls on the shooting events. I feel that there should be a gold medal for China on the first day, and I hope the Chinese delegation will achieve good results."

Youthful powerhouse

Shooting remains a cornerstone of China's Olympic prowess, with an impressive tally of 26 gold medals across nine previous Games appearances. At the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese shooting squad captured five golds, two silvers and one bronze. In Tokyo, it excelled, with four golds, one silver and six bronzes, marking its best international performance, and the best performance of any nation at that year's Games.

As it prepares for Paris, Team China continues to showcase formidable strength. It has topped the medal tables at the last two world championships. At the same time, it has undergone a generational shift, with a wave of talented young athletes poised to make their mark on the global stage.

Featuring a blend of experience and youth, with veterans like Li Yuehong, competing in his third Olympics, and Tokyo champion Jiang Ranxin being joined by rising stars such as Huang, Han, Du Linshu and Li Xue, many of whom were born after 2000.

The youngest, 17-year-old Liang Xiaoya, earned her spot with an impressive performance in the Olympic trials and will compete alongside Zhao Nan in the women's 25m pistol event.

Tokyo veterans Jiang and Zhang Bowen will lead the charge for China with the air pistol, competing in both the individual and mixed team 10m events. They will be joined by rising stars Li Xue and Xie Yu, both born in 2000 and making their Olympic debuts in Paris.

Li Yuehong, at 35 years old, has previously secured two bronze medals in his two previous attempts. At the 2023 World Shooting Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, he set a new world record in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol final. In Paris, he will team up with Wang Xinjie, aiming to secure China's first Olympic gold in the discipline.

The shooting competitions will take place from July 27 to Aug 5, and will see 170 male and female shooters, respectively, competing across 15 events.

It won't be an easy task, as China will face tough competition. India poses a formidable challenge in several events, while the United States, South Korea, Germany and host France each has its own strengths across multiple disciplines.

During the team's departure ceremony, Huang Wenhong, coach of the national pistol shooting team, promised: "Our coaching team will approach the Paris Olympics with calm minds, a pursuit of excellence, and meticulous preparation to help our athletes display their best competitive form and spirit on the field."

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn