<p>Mairaj Ahmed Khan and Gurpreet Singh fought their hearts out but stumbled by narrow margins as a final spot eluded the Indians at the Olympic Shooting Range on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Mairaj shot superbly in the qualification stage of men’s skeet event over two days. <br /><br />With the top six shooters entering the final, Mairaj was tied with four others in the sixth spot with a score of 121 out of 125. However, he missed the mark in a shoot-off to bow out of contention, eventually ending ninth.<br /><br />Gurpreet, competing in rapid fire pistol, finished an agonising seventh in the qualifying round. Unlike other pistol events, where eight shooters make the final, only six qualify in rapid fire. <br /><br />The 40-year-old Mairaj, from Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, had won India’s first World Cup medal in skeet, a silver, at the same range in April. <br /><br />Over two days of qualifying, he shot a series of 24, 25, 23, 25 and 24 to come close to the medal round, only to falter at the crunch.<br /><br />Abdullah Al Rashidi of Kuwait, competing under the International Olympic Committee banner, topped the qualification stage with a 123.<br /><br />Gurpreet had shot 289 in the first stage of rapid fire qualifying on Friday. On Saturday, he scored 292 for a total of 581, missing the final by two points. A 90 in the third series in the first stage probably ruined his chances. <br /><br />Christian Reitz of Germany won the gold defeating Jean Quiquampoix of France convincingly in the final. Reitz shot a 34 while Quiquoampoix took the silver at 30. Li Yuehong of China won the bronze at 27. <br /><br />Reitz had won the bronze medal at Beijing in 2008 and his success brought Germany their fifth gold medal in this event.<br /><br />Result: Men 25M rapid fire pistol: Chrstian Reitz (Germany) 34, 1; Jean Quiquampoix (France) 30, 2; Li Yuhong (China) 27, 3.</p>
<p>Mairaj Ahmed Khan and Gurpreet Singh fought their hearts out but stumbled by narrow margins as a final spot eluded the Indians at the Olympic Shooting Range on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Mairaj shot superbly in the qualification stage of men’s skeet event over two days. <br /><br />With the top six shooters entering the final, Mairaj was tied with four others in the sixth spot with a score of 121 out of 125. However, he missed the mark in a shoot-off to bow out of contention, eventually ending ninth.<br /><br />Gurpreet, competing in rapid fire pistol, finished an agonising seventh in the qualifying round. Unlike other pistol events, where eight shooters make the final, only six qualify in rapid fire. <br /><br />The 40-year-old Mairaj, from Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, had won India’s first World Cup medal in skeet, a silver, at the same range in April. <br /><br />Over two days of qualifying, he shot a series of 24, 25, 23, 25 and 24 to come close to the medal round, only to falter at the crunch.<br /><br />Abdullah Al Rashidi of Kuwait, competing under the International Olympic Committee banner, topped the qualification stage with a 123.<br /><br />Gurpreet had shot 289 in the first stage of rapid fire qualifying on Friday. On Saturday, he scored 292 for a total of 581, missing the final by two points. A 90 in the third series in the first stage probably ruined his chances. <br /><br />Christian Reitz of Germany won the gold defeating Jean Quiquampoix of France convincingly in the final. Reitz shot a 34 while Quiquoampoix took the silver at 30. Li Yuehong of China won the bronze at 27. <br /><br />Reitz had won the bronze medal at Beijing in 2008 and his success brought Germany their fifth gold medal in this event.<br /><br />Result: Men 25M rapid fire pistol: Chrstian Reitz (Germany) 34, 1; Jean Quiquampoix (France) 30, 2; Li Yuhong (China) 27, 3.</p>
