JOIN USDisappointing debut for Jitu
Jitu Rai’s Olympic final debut was brief and bitterly disappointing. The Indian shooter, one of the country’s brightest medal hopes here, finished eighth in the men’s 10M air pistol on the opening day at the Olympic Shooting Range.
In the eight-man final field, Jitu was the first to be eliminated as he struggled to settle down quickly, the essential element for success in the current format. Before he could soak in the atmosphere, the 28-year-old was back on the bench, accepting commiserations from his coach.
Jitu had a score of 78.7 when the first cut was applied after eight shots in the final. Only three times could he notch a score above ten in the eight shots, the slow beginning nailing his chances instantly. He has one more event to focus on now, the 50M pistol.
Vinh Xuan Hoang of Vietnam was the surprise gold medallist – the first-ever for his country at the Olympics -- as the fancied Jin Jongoh of South Korea and Wu Felipe Almeida of Brazil slipped up. Hoang fired a Final Olympic record score of 202.5 to snuff out the home hopes, Wu finishing at 202.1, 0.4 point behind. China’s Pang Wei took the bronze after tallying 180.4.
Hoang was consistent right through but he had his heart in his mouth in the final shot after a 9.2 in the penultimate shot brought Wu into contention. But the Vietnamese composed himself to shoot a superb 10.7 while the Brazilan could manage only 10.1. Vietnam had won just two silver medals before these Games.
Earlier in the afternoon, Jitu had to fight his way back into contention in the qualifying phase. After firing 96 and 96 in the first two series, he came up with a 98 but two more series of 96 didn’t help his cause. The Indian of Nepal origin then shot a 98 in the final series to finish with a total of 580, ensuring sixth place and a spot in the final.
India’s other entry in the event, Gurpreet Singh, shot a 576 and was placed 20th.
India had started the day in disappointing fashion, with both Apurvi Chandela and Ayonika Paul bowing out without reaching the final. Debutants both, the pressure told on them as they ended 34th and 47th respectively. Apurvi shot 411.6 in the qualifying round while Ayonika could only manage a 403.
American Virginia Thrasher won the gold defeating China’s experienced Li Du. Thrasher shot a Final Olympic record of 208 points while Du was one point behind. China’s Yi Siling won the bronze at 185.4. Du had set an Olympic record of 420.7 in the qualifying.
Results: Men: 10M pistol: Vinh Xuan Hoang (Vie) 202.5, 1; Wu Felipe Almeida (Bra) 202.1, 2; Pang Wei (China) 180.4, 3. Women: 10M air rifle: Virginia Thrasher (US) 208, 1; Li Du (China) 207, 2; Yi Siling (China) 185.4, 3.