South Korea upsets China in Asian shooting meet
South Korea upsets China in Asian shooting meet
JAKARTA (JP): South Koreans handed mighty China a series of
stinging blows on the second day of the 8th Asian Shooting
Championships here yesterday when they romped home with four gold
medals from the men's air rifle and women's prone small bore
rifle.
Defending champion China had to settle for the remaining two
golds from the men's trap 150 targets, but it remained atop of
the medal race with six golds, five silvers and a bronze. South
Korea trailed China with four golds, two silvers and a bronze.
Both South Korea and China shattered Asian records on their
gold medal winning run yesterday. The South Korean trio snatched
a gold with a total score of 1,760 in the men's air rifle which
saw three finishers break the Asian mark of 1,753.
China set the other Asian record when Zhang Bing fired nearly
flawless shots to score 124, improving Kuwait's Al Deehani's two-
year-old record of 123. Zhang also equaled the world record set
by G. Pelleilo of Italy in 1993.
The Chinese trio completed a double in the team event as
Zhang, Zhao Gui Seng and Gao Qingzhong compiled a total score of
364 to beat the old mark of 357 set by the Kuwaiti team in the
Asian Games last year.
A technical malfunction served as a blessing in disguise for
South Korea in the men's air rifle. Chae Keun Bae failed to fire
his rifle twice in the seventh shot, but he surprised two pace
setters, China's Ning Lijia and Masaru Yanagida of Japan, in the
third chance with a perfect shot to take over the lead.
Chae maintained his form to win the gold with a total score of
692.6. Yanagida finished second in 690.4, ahead of defending
champion Ning.
Contrast
Indonesia, however, suffered a contrasting fate when Iran
denied the host team its first medal since 1983. Erlinawati
Chalid finished fourth behind Iran's Mahrovshi Zahra in the
women's prone small bore rifle with just a mere point separating
them, only after the jury conceded to the Iranian team's protest.
"We granted Iran the bronze following a recheck conducted by a
panel of three," Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee
Sita Hazni said. She guaranteed the objectivity of the revision,
saying that none of the jury was informed about whose file they
were working on.
Before the protest, four shooters, including Erlinawati and
Zahra, were tied at 585 points after six shots. The jury
announced that Erlinawati finished third because her final shot
bested those of the other three rivals, but Iran refused to
accept the outcomes.
Indonesian coach, Ari Said, also lodged a protest, but to no
avail since he had surpassed the deadline rules. The General
Technical Rules says that a protest has to be submitted within 30
minutes after a competition ends.
In respond to Ari's argument that he was not informed about
it, Competition Director JW Kainama said that it always takes the
committee more than 30 minutes to complete the revision.
"We assume that a coach or a team manager has fully understood
the deadline rules," Kainama said.
Indonesia has taken no medals since Lely Sampoerno won a gold
in women's sports pistol in the 1983 meet here. To make matters
worse, a throng of local journalists wasted more than half an
hour interviewing an elated Erlinawati.
South Korea's Kong Hyun-ah grabbed the gold medal with 590 to
lead China Shan Hong by just one point. Kong remained five points
away from the meet record.
Kong also spearheaded the South Korean trio, made up also of
Kim Jung-mi and Weok Gyung-sook, to take the team gold medal with
1,760 points. China had to be content with its second silver as
it scored 1,746. The bronze went to Vietnam. (amd)