Wang Yifu wins 2nd gold for China at Athens Olympics
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-14 20:12

Wang Yifu waves to the audience after winning a gold medal for the men's 10m air pistol final in Athens, August 14, 2004. [newsphoto]

Chinese veteran shooter Wang Yifu shot down the men's 10m air pistol gold medal with a total of 690 points at the 28th Olympic Games on Saturday.

Wang Yifu, at the age of 43, only secured the gold in the final shot, in which he had 9.9 points, beating Mikhail Nestruev of Russia to the second.

Nestruev, world champion in 2002, shot 9.7 points in the final round, losing the title by 0.2 points.

Vladimir Isakov, also from Russia, was third at 684.3 points.

Wang, who began his career at the age of 16, is the only Chinese athlete who has competed in the Olympic Games since 1984 Los Angels where he finished third in the men's 50m pistol event.

At the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, he took his first gold medal in the 10m air pistol with 684.8 points. In both Atlanta and Sydney Games, he finished second in the shooting.

Chinese Olympic marksman Wang Yifu cries during the medal ceremony for the men's 10 meter air pistol in Athens, August 14, 2004. [Reuters]

Earlier on Saturday, Du Li of China won the women's 10m air rifle gold medal with a score of 502 points.

The 22-year-old outscored a host of elite markswomen, including compatriot Zhao Yinghui, world number one Lioubov Galkina of Russia and world and European champion Katerina Kurkova of the Czech Republic, winning with an Olympic record score of 502.0 points.

China's Du Li takes aim during the women's 10m air rifle competition in Athens, August 14, 2004. [newsphoto]

Du, who is competing in her first Olympics, entered the 10-shot final with 398 points on joint second places along with Zhao and Kurkova. She was edged into fifth place after opening the final with a 9.4.

The girl then maintained her composure and rejoined the title race with a 10.6 and 10.8. But she didn't overtake all-time leader Galkina until the last shot, firing a 10.6 against the Russian's 9.7.

Galkina, who led by a full point into the final with 399 points, had to settle for the silver with a total of 501.5 points.

Kurkova claimed the bronze medal with 501.1 points.

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