China’s Li Yuehong won the gold in the men’s 25 metres rapid fire pistol event at the Paris Olympics with a comfortable 32-25 win against silver medallist Cho Yeong-jae of South Korea.
Italy claimed the final shooting gold of the Games in the mixed team skeet final as Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi secured a 45-44 win against fancied American pair Vincent Hancock and Austen Smith.
China won the bronze in that event after Jiang Yiting combined with Lyu Jianlin for a 44-43 win against the Indian pair of Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka.
It was a China one-two in the men’s rapid fire pistol qualification round and the trend continued as Li and bronze medallist Wang Xinjie started off with a perfect five-from-five in the final.
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Korea’s Cho managed to sandwich himself between the Chinese pair but world record holder Li, whose Paris preparations included two weeks training with the military in December, ran away with the gold.
It was a stellar display by Li, who said he did not initially like the sport.
“I did not think I had any talent but my parents told me to stick to it,” he said. “My teammates also encouraged me along the way.”
Cho said his pistol was “not perfect”, which put him under time pressure, but he was happy to medal in his Olympic debut.
A perfect sixth series earned Li a two-point lead and the 34-year-old capitalised on it to win his first Olympic gold after taking bronze in the last two Games.
Compatriot Wang beat Germany’s Florian Peter in a shoot-off to make the podium.
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