Peng Xinlu made sure China signed off in style at the ISSF World Cup in Ningbo, as she set a new world record in the women's 10m air rifle.
The 16-year-old achieved this on her World Cup debut, making her one of the youngest-ever gold medallists on the circuit.
Meanwhile, Jiri Privratsky won a hard-fought gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final after a tight battle with AIN athlete, Dmitrii Pimenov.
The 16-year-old achieved this on her World Cup debut, making her one of the youngest-ever gold medallists on the circuit.
Meanwhile, Jiri Privratsky won a hard-fought gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final after a tight battle with AIN athlete, Dmitrii Pimenov.
Peng Xinlu became one of the youngest ISSF World Cup winners in history Women's 10m Air Rifle
Peng Xinlu showed signs of a future star when she made her international debut at the Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan last month. There, she was runner-up to India's Elavenil Valarivan in the individual event, was part of the Chinese team to win the gold medal, and also took silver in the mixed team final with Lu Dingke.
She may have been the plucky, ambitious youngster going into Ningbo, but by the time qualification ended, she was a serious contender for the gold medal. She came within 0.5 points of her compatriot Wang Zifei's qualification world record set in Munich this year - and far ahead of second-placed Jeanette Hegg Duestad from Norway.
It was clear the Chinese teenager had a target on her back, and after the first competition stage, she led the way with a score of 106.0 to Duestad's 105.9 and the AIN athlete Mariia Vasileva's 105.6. As the eliminations commenced, Vasileva could not keep up with the incredible form of the top two qualifiers. Equally, 50m rifle 3 positions winner Duestad could not contend with Peng on the day - and for good reason.
She continued to pile the pressure on with exceptional scores. She would score 10.8 six times in those first 10 shots, and added a 10.9 in the penultimate series. What had started as a 0.1-point lead at the start of the elimination stage, continued to grow, eventually to 2.7. Duestad had finished with a score of 252.6, good enough to win the past three Olympic Games, when the new format was introduced. For Peng, she smashed Wang Zifei's world record of 254.8, improving this to 255.3.
Duestad ended her time in Ningbo with two golds and a silver, a fantastic week for the Norwegian. She was far ahead of the bronze medallist, Meghana Sajjanar, who was excellent in the elimination stage. It was a remarkable day for the 31-year-old, who won her first World Cup medal in only her fifth competition.
Vasileva finished fourth, followed by Kwon Eun-ji of the Republic of Korea, Yang Yujie from China, Aleksandra Havran of Serbia and Germany's Anna Janssen.
Peng Xinlu showed signs of a future star when she made her international debut at the Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan last month. There, she was runner-up to India's Elavenil Valarivan in the individual event, was part of the Chinese team to win the gold medal, and also took silver in the mixed team final with Lu Dingke.
She may have been the plucky, ambitious youngster going into Ningbo, but by the time qualification ended, she was a serious contender for the gold medal. She came within 0.5 points of her compatriot Wang Zifei's qualification world record set in Munich this year - and far ahead of second-placed Jeanette Hegg Duestad from Norway.
It was clear the Chinese teenager had a target on her back, and after the first competition stage, she led the way with a score of 106.0 to Duestad's 105.9 and the AIN athlete Mariia Vasileva's 105.6. As the eliminations commenced, Vasileva could not keep up with the incredible form of the top two qualifiers. Equally, 50m rifle 3 positions winner Duestad could not contend with Peng on the day - and for good reason.
She continued to pile the pressure on with exceptional scores. She would score 10.8 six times in those first 10 shots, and added a 10.9 in the penultimate series. What had started as a 0.1-point lead at the start of the elimination stage, continued to grow, eventually to 2.7. Duestad had finished with a score of 252.6, good enough to win the past three Olympic Games, when the new format was introduced. For Peng, she smashed Wang Zifei's world record of 254.8, improving this to 255.3.
Duestad ended her time in Ningbo with two golds and a silver, a fantastic week for the Norwegian. She was far ahead of the bronze medallist, Meghana Sajjanar, who was excellent in the elimination stage. It was a remarkable day for the 31-year-old, who won her first World Cup medal in only her fifth competition.
Vasileva finished fourth, followed by Kwon Eun-ji of the Republic of Korea, Yang Yujie from China, Aleksandra Havran of Serbia and Germany's Anna Janssen.
Jiri Privratsky performed under pressure to take the 50m rifle 3 positions goldMen's 50m Rifle 3 Positions
Jiri Privratsky is one of the most successful World Cup athletes to have never won an Olympic or world title. The Czech continued to show why he is one of the best in the world, having performed when it mattered on the final shot, in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final.
As the top qualifier, Privratsky was looking in good shape - particularly in his prone section, where he scored the maximum 200. Yet where he excelled earlier, was nearly his undoing, going from leading after the kneeling section, to falling behind Dmitrii Pimenov and Jon-Hermann Hegg of Norway after the prone.
Undeterred, Privratsky regained his composure quickly, showing his strength as the standing shots started. By the time of the first elimination, he had retaken the lead with a total of 414.5 to Pimenov's 414.2 and Hegg's 412.0. With the Norwegian unlikely to come back from that deficit, the attention turned to the top two. The first shot was a stalemate, before Privratsky scored 10.0 to Pimenov's 9.7 to make the gap a full point. However, this event also springs surprises, and Pimenov would respond with 10.5 to Privratsky's 9.6, bringing it down to 0.1. Both would score 10.7 in the penultimate shot, leading to a nervous final shot.
Privratsky would score 10.7 as Pimenov scored 9.8. It would become the Czech's sixth individual World Cup victory in the event, adding to his large tally. Pimenov, on his World Cup debut, showed the quality he was capable of, going toe-to-toe with the more experienced athlete. Bronze would go to Hegg, who was far ahead of the closest challengers, Li Muyuan and Lu Dingke from the home country. France's Lucas Kryzs, Iran's Amirmohammad Nekounam and Kiran Ankush Jadhav of India finished in positions sixth to eighth.
Results and more information from the Ningbo ISSF World Cup can be found here.
Jiri Privratsky is one of the most successful World Cup athletes to have never won an Olympic or world title. The Czech continued to show why he is one of the best in the world, having performed when it mattered on the final shot, in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final.
As the top qualifier, Privratsky was looking in good shape - particularly in his prone section, where he scored the maximum 200. Yet where he excelled earlier, was nearly his undoing, going from leading after the kneeling section, to falling behind Dmitrii Pimenov and Jon-Hermann Hegg of Norway after the prone.
Undeterred, Privratsky regained his composure quickly, showing his strength as the standing shots started. By the time of the first elimination, he had retaken the lead with a total of 414.5 to Pimenov's 414.2 and Hegg's 412.0. With the Norwegian unlikely to come back from that deficit, the attention turned to the top two. The first shot was a stalemate, before Privratsky scored 10.0 to Pimenov's 9.7 to make the gap a full point. However, this event also springs surprises, and Pimenov would respond with 10.5 to Privratsky's 9.6, bringing it down to 0.1. Both would score 10.7 in the penultimate shot, leading to a nervous final shot.
Privratsky would score 10.7 as Pimenov scored 9.8. It would become the Czech's sixth individual World Cup victory in the event, adding to his large tally. Pimenov, on his World Cup debut, showed the quality he was capable of, going toe-to-toe with the more experienced athlete. Bronze would go to Hegg, who was far ahead of the closest challengers, Li Muyuan and Lu Dingke from the home country. France's Lucas Kryzs, Iran's Amirmohammad Nekounam and Kiran Ankush Jadhav of India finished in positions sixth to eighth.
Results and more information from the Ningbo ISSF World Cup can be found here.