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Finals 50m Pistol Men

Jin fights back to win his 3rd Olympic pistol title - now he's the most successfull

XXX Olympic Games · London, GBR

Jin Jongoh won the 50m Pistol Men event at the Royal Artillery Barracks Olympic Shooting Range, securing his second Olympic Gold medal at the London 2012 Games, his third Olympic Gold. Qualified in 5th, he climbed back in the lead.

The 32-year old Korean shooter Jin Jongoh took his total Olympic tally up to three titles. After winning the 50m Pistol title in 2008, the 10m Air Pistol title last week, he came back atop of the podium securing today’s 50m Pistol Men Gold medal.  

The defending champion made it to the final in fifth place, with a qualification score of 562 points, 7 points behind the qualification’s leader, his teammate Choi Young Rae.

 

Then, scoring 100.0 points in the final – by far today’s best final score – he overtook his opponents, climbing up the scoreboard to land on the highest step of the podium with a total of 662.0 points.

 

"I never expected a gold medal. After the qualifications I'd hoped for a bronze." Jin said.

“I feel sorry that I took the Gold from Choi. But at the same time I am happy that he’s on the podium.” Jin added. “We will celebrate together, tonight!”

Jin suddenly became world’s most successful Olympic pistol shooter. The event has been past of the Games since the very beginning, in 1896, and since then nobody had won two Gold medals back to back. Adding the 10m Air Pistol Gold that Jin won last week, the Korean shooter also becomes the only pistol shooter with 3 Olympic Gold medals (China’s Wang Yifu and Bulgaria’s Tanyu Kiriakov had won two each, between the ‘80s and the ‘90s).

 

Nobody could reach Jin, today. The Korean shooter rocketed up, shooting a great final. His teammate Choi – a surprise of these Games - ended up in second place with 661.5 points and the Silver medal. Choi – ranked 55th in the world - had never won an international medal, before. He had not even made it to a final, before. "The last shot (an 8.1) was my worst shot but I tried my best. And when I finished, I just felt relieved." The 30-year old shooter said. "I am happy to get silver but I am heartbroken not to get gold."

The Bronze medal went to China’s Wang Zhiwei, 24, 10th in the world ranking. After qualifying in second with 566 points, the Chinese athlete struggled at the beginning of the match, and lost his head start by shooting 3 times in the 8th ring, and once in the 7th ring jeopardizing his medal opportunity. Then, with a great last shot of 10.6 points, he jumped back in third, advancing Vietnam’s Hoang Xuan Vinh by just 0.1 point.  

"I had a look at the scores and told myself not to give up. To carry on. It was very challenging. The light was not very good and I didn't see very clearly but fortunately I got a reward." Wang said.

Today’s second highest score in the final – 97.0 points – was scored by Italy’s Giuseppe Giordano, who finished in fifth place with a total score of 656.0 points after climbing up from the 8th and last place. He was followed by the 10m Air Pistol Men Bronze medallist Andrija Zlatich of Serbia with 655.9 points, and by Germany’s Christian Reitz – the 25m Rapid Fire Specialist – who tried right to the last shot to clinch a medal for Germany, whose medal count is still on zero.

 

Leonid Ekimov, the 24-year old Russian shooter ranked in sixth in the world, ended up in eighth and last place with 652.0 points.

Marco Dalla Dea

 

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