Huang Yuting (L) and Sheng Lihao of China look on during the 10-meter air rifle mixed team final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, September 26, 2023. /CFP
The first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics will likely be awarded to the winner of the 10-meter air rifle mixed team final on Saturday. Two Chinese pairs – Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, and Han Jiayu and Du Linshu – will compete in the event and try to win the title for their country.
It has been more than a year since Huang and Sheng first joined forces and they have performed well as partners. The two have won six of the seven competitions they've entered, including pocketing mixed team golds at the World Cup, World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games, all in 2023.
Huang also won the women's 10-meter air rifle individual gold at the Asian Games.
"I think I managed to beat myself today," Huang said after winning the title at the Asian Games. "I went through some ups and downs when I was preparing for the Asian Games. I had no burden today, did it right during the process and beat myself in the end."
Chinese shooters participated in two World Cup events this season – in Baku, Azerbaijan, in May, and Munich, Germany, in June. Huang and Sheng again brought home the mixed team titles, showing solid form ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Han and Du finished as silver medalists in Baku and bronze medalists in Munich. The two didn't start teaming up until after China's domestic Olympic trials this year.
Han only began competing in international events in 2023, but has been improving rapidly, winning the women's rifle individual gold at both the World Cup and World Championships last year.
"I want to grow stronger mentally," Han told the China Media Group (CMG). "Because sometimes I made mistakes after feeling nervous. Also I believe there is still room for me to improve my skills."
Sheng is the only one of China's four shooting athletes who participated in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics three years ago, securing a silver medal in the men's 10-meter air rifle individual final.
China's main opponents in the mixed team event in Paris are expected to be India and South Korea. Huang and Sheng beat shooters from both teams to win gold at the Asian Games in 2023.