The Republic of Korea’s Jiin Yang equalled her own world record of 41 as she earned 25m pistol women gold at the ISSF World Cup Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun in Baku.
The 20-year-old replicated the feat she achieved at the Asian Championships in Jakarta on January 11, moving away from the strong challenge of China’s 19-year-old Nan Zhao as she scored with each of her last 10 efforts.
“Next time I will try to beat the record!” Yang told ISSF TV.
Reflecting on her Olympic prospects, she added: “It is looking good, in good condition. Now I will do some more hard training in order to make a good score in Paris.”
Yang was watched from the stands at the Olympic Shooting Range by Germany's Doreen Vennekamp, not taking part in this final, who last year equalled the then world record of 40 in this event.
The 2023 female ISSF Athlete of the Year had decided to skip the first of the two 25m pistol women finals being staged in Azerbaijan as she had a schedule that also included the 10m air pistol and mixed team events.
Yang had qualified third best for what will be the first of two 25m pistol women finals in the Azerbaijan capital, with first place going to Germany’s Josefin Eder, who won her first World Cup medal, a gold, at last month’s Final Olympic Qualifier in Rio, and second place being occupied by Independent Neutral Athlete Zoya Dasco.
The Korean athlete took an early grip on the competition but was shadowed by Zhao, who won World Cup Final bronze in Doha last year. And a perfect sequence of five hits in the third elimination round enabled the Chinese athlete to turn a one-point deficit into a one-point lead.
Yang drew level at 27-27 after the next round, however, and then moved far beyond even the tenacious efforts of her Chinese rival as she registered hits from 14 of her final 15 efforts, finishing four clear for what was not just a world record but, given her age, a world junior record as well.
Eder, who had reacted in emotional fashion to winning what was her first ISSF senior medal in Rio at the age of 28, held her form to take bronze with a total of 32 having topped qualifying.
Asked about the challenge she had raised to the eventual gold medallist, Zhao responded:
“I didn’t look at the scoreboard so didn’t know the scores. I was just concentrating in myself. Of course this medal will improve my confidence for Paris. But the important part of finals is to improve – the medals are like a small gift!”
Asked how important it had been to her to win a first medal – and a first gold – in Rio, Eder replied:
“It was very important for my confidence. For a long time before I never won anything, so it was huge to win gold in Rio. Now to win another medal makes a huge difference to me, it makes me feel even more confident that I can do it.”
Yang’s compatriot Oh Ye Jin was fourth, one place ahead of Haniyeh Rostamiyan of Iran.
Sixth place went to Zhao’s 17-year-old team-mate Liang Xiaoya, competing in her first senior international final, with France’s Mathilde Lamolle seventh and Dasco, competing in her first World Cup final, was eighth.
Yang’s gold means that Korea now has a total of four medals at this World Cup, with China topping the table on 11.
Competition concludes in Baku on Saturday, May 11.
All finals are being live-streamed on the ISSF YouTube and Facebook channels.