China claimed the first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by winning the 10m air rifle team event, defeating South Korea 16-12 in the final.
China’s Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao secured the first gold medal of the Paris Games on Saturday in the 10 meters air rifle mixed team event. South Korea’s Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun took the silver, while Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev of Kazakhstan won the bronze.
Three years after Yang Qian and Yang Haoran claimed gold in Tokyo, Huang and Sheng ensured China retained the title. The reigning world champions led the qualifying round, finishing ahead of their Korean competitors at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
Despite gaining a 14-8 lead after the first 11 shots, the gold medal round was challenging. Keum and Park mounted a late comeback, closing the gap to 14-12, but the Chinese pair ultimately triumphed 16-12. Le and Satpayev earned Kazakhstan their first medal of the Paris Games with a 17-5 victory over Germany’s Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich.