China's Jiang Ranxin shows her bronze medal at the awarding ceremony for the women's 10-meter air pistol final during the Tokyo Olympic Games at the Asaka Shooting Range in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP
China's bid for another shooting gold came up short on the second day of the Tokyo Olympic Games as young hopeful Jiang Ranxin finished third in the women's 10-meter air pistol final with a score of 218 points despite making an impressive debut at the event.
The first-time Olympian dominated the qualifying by equaling Greek Anna Korakaki's three-year-old record of 587 points, but Russian Vitalina Batsarashkina, who qualified in third place, found her best form back in the final and set a games record of 240.3 points, just 0.9 point ahead of Bulgaria's Antoaneta Kostadinova.
Jiang displayed admirable shooting skills during the first few shots and was second only to Batsarashkina in the closing stage, but a couple of 9.2-point shots cost her dearly and saw the Shanghai native slip to the third place. Jiang's compatriot Lin Yuemei finished fifth.
China has long maintained a brilliant record in air rifle and air pistol shooting events at the Olympics. Yang Qian won the first gold of the Tokyo Games on the opening day after outclassing another Russian, Anastasiia Galashina, in the women's 10-meter rifle final.
At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Zhang Mengxue clinched the gold in the women's 10-meter air pistol, and her final opponent was none other than Batsarashkina. After suffering heartbreak in Rio five years ago, the 25-year-old Russian finally fulfilled her Olympic dream in Tokyo.
For Jiang, winning bronze is also a fantastic start to her fledgling career. The 23-year-old is a consistent performer with a strong mentality and a standout athlete among the new generation of Chinese shooters.
China's two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Wu Jingyu confirms her retirement after her quarterfinals defeat at the Tokyo Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021. /CFP
Elsewhere, China's two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Wu Jingyu was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The 34-year-old's dream of a historic third gold medal was shattered after Spanish talent Adriana Cerezo Iglesias defied the odds to come out on top.
"I can now bid farewell to taekwondo, and actually, I have waited this moment for a long time after my weight cut to compete at 49 kg," said Wu after her defeat. "I felt calm, and I will cheer up for my teammates who can still win medals. However, I hope to spend more time taking care of my child and family."