Calm Zhang shoots her way to China’s first gold

Batsarashkina neatly sidesteppped a potential minefield when asked at the post-event press conference about her thoughts on winning a medal for Russian Federation after all the doping scandal dogging her country s Olympic build-up.

After Zhang’s success in winning the first gold medal, China secured the first diving gold medal, the second in all, when Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao won the women’s synchronized 3m springboard.

China’s Wu Minxia (R) and Shi Tingmao pose with their gold medals in the women’s SYNC.3M Springboard in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug 7, 2016.

Zhang Mengxue of China holds her gold medal during the award ceremony for the women’s 10-meter air pistol event at Olympic Shooting Center.

Greek athlete Anna Korakaki won the first medal for Greece in the Olympic Games in Rio.

The last qualifying berth was occupied by Spain’s Sonia Franquet who hit the same score as Zhang – 384 points.

“I am so excited”, said Zhang, who only made her worldwide debut previous year. “So I just did my utmost to be myself today”.

In the other shooting to take part on day two of the Games in the Brazilian city, Australia’s Catherine Skinner marked her Olympic debut by topping the podium in the trap competition to continue her nation’s impressive start at the event in Rio.

Ranked fifth in the world, Zhang said she felt her only obligation was to qualify, but she barely made it, coming in seventh out of eight finalists.

Zhang established a solid lead against her two counterparts midway and eventually won with a 10.9 ideal shot in the final rounds.

Zhang was joined in the final three by two other first time Olympians, Vitalina Batsarashkina, 19, of Russian Federation and Anna Korakaki, 20, of Greece.

“Before the last shot, I knew I was in an advantage, but I wanted to concentrate”, Zhang said.

“I am so excited”, added the Chinese shooter, who hails from Jinan. The bronze medal went to Greece’s Anna Korakaki.

“I am still feeling the competition, I am still in that mood, and winning at the Olympic Games was my goal since I was young”.