“I realized they were cheering for me. That’s awesome. It’s an emotion I cannot describe. USA and China are often rivals, in these Olympic competitions… but this audience made me feel like I was at home!” said Emmos, signing autograph to photographers and journalists, after the medal ceremony.
“I am thrilled about this vicotry – he added, speaking about the final – I changed my sightings
after the 50m Rifle Prone event, and I was quite confident as I walked into the
final hall. It has been a great day!” Emmons
confirmed the title he had won at last year’s ISSF World Cup Final in Bangkok,
and proved once more to be a “World Cup Final expert”, as this has been his
fifth victory since 2002.
Qualification leader’s Han Jinseop finished
in second behind Emmons, grabbing Silver with 1274.6 points. Walking into the
final in the lead with the highest qualification score of 1180 points, Han
wasted his advantage by shooting twice in the eights and scoring 94.6 points in
the final. The 28-year old Korean athlete climbed on the second step of the
podium thanks to a fatal mistake of his Norwegian opponents Ole Magnus Bakken,
who closed the final with a terrible 5.3 and shot himself back in third with a
total of 1270.0 points (1180+90.0).
India’s hope, Gagan Narang, who had set a
record in the 10m Air Rifle competition at last year’s World Cup Final, closed
today’s match in fourth with 1267.3 points. The 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist,
Slovenia’s Debevec, followed him in fifth place with 1266.8 points, while the
two Chinese teammate He and Qui finished in sixth and eighth place, divided by
Italy’s Niccolò Campriani, seventh.