Champion China renews charges in shooting meet
JAKARTA (JP): Another Asian record tumbled as defending champion China renewed its charges on the third day of the 8th Asian Shooting Championships here yesterday by sweeping up three of the four gold medals at stake.
The victories, coming just after a double blow on Wednesday, helped China go four golds clear in front of closest challenger South Korea, with eight golds, six silvers and a bronze. China just missed the men's individual rapid fire pistol gold, which was taken by Kazakhstan's Asian Games winner Vladimir Vokhmyanine.
Liang Yan opened the Chinese sweep when she took the women's air pistol with a record-breaking feat. Making her international debut, Liang shot to her first-ever gold medal with a total score of 386. She broke the nine-year-old Asian record of 384, set by Japan's Hasagawa in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul.
It was the fifth new meet record established in the shooting championship so far.
"What a great victory. I could not believe that I did it in my first appearance at such a big tournament," the 23-year-old student of Hunan school of letters said. Liang is only fifth in the national rankings.
She said that her success was the result of the strict discipline she had subjected herself to for five years. "I always force myself to swallow a big portion of training three times a week, despite my school commitments," she said.
Practice made perfect for Liang, but she admitted to a continuing worry. "I shot my personal best of 390 during my two- month stint prior to the championship. Hopefully I will make it better in the Olympic Games next year," she said.
Dorsjuren Munkhbayar produced a brilliant comeback in the final, eighth round, to finish second behind Liang and earn Mongolia its first medal. The bronze went to Japan's Yoko Inada.
Liang also inspired the Chinese trio to grab the top team honor. They gained a total of 1,135 points, ahead of Kazakhstan, which scored 1,130. South Korea had to be content with the bronze for 1,122.
Fightback
Kazakhstan's Vokhmyanine maintained his domination in his favorite event to give his team its first championship gold medal, after a superb fightback. He trailed his Asian Games runner-up Meng Gang of China and pace-setter Tamohiro Kida of Japan after 60 shots in the qualifying round.
Vokhmyanine was paired with fourth-finisher Enver Osmanov of Uzbekistan in the final eighth round, leaving Meng and Kida to lock horns. The 33-year-old Kazakhstani breezed past Osmanov with an average score of 99.9 after 10 shots, thanks to the advantageous pairing.
Kida, however, flopped in the final hurdle in a tense duel with Meng. Setting the pace after completing half of the compulsory 10 shots, Kida squandered his momentum and missed the silver.
Vokhmyanine maintained his cool, even during the press conference shortly after his victory. He spoke only a few words through his coach and interpreter in response to a spirited journalist from the state-owned television station TVRI, who fired several rounds of questions at him.
Meng teamed up with Zhang Wei and Asian Games bronze medalist Wang Runxi to accumulate 1,746 points for the gold in the team event. Kida and company gave Japan another silver with a total score of 1,745.
Vokhmyanine, who led the then Soviet Union trio to win two straight golds in the world championships in 1982 and 1986, spearheaded the Kazakhstan team to take the bronze. (amd)