China’s Xie Yu, whose Paris 2024 place was confirmed after the national trials, made the ideal statement of intent today by winning 10m air pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun in Baku.
The 23-year-old, who won world gold in the 50m pistol on the same Olympic Shooting Range last year, will compete in the 10m air pistol in Paris along with Zhang Bowen, who earned 10m air pistol bronze on the same range where he secured the world title in that event last year.
China also featured on the podium in the 10m air pistol women’s event, where world champion Jiang Ranxin, who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games and has secured her place for Paris 2024 along with 2023 World Cup Final winner Li Xue, finished third – one place ahead of Li.
Gold went to France’s 22-year-old Camille Jedrzejewski, who won an Olympic quota place for the prospective Olympic hosts at last year’s European Championships.
Chinese athletes ended the day as they had begun it as they secured gold and silver in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Xie had already featured on the Baku medal podium having taken bronze along with Li in the previous day’s 10m air pistol mixed team event, and he soon went even better in what was his first ISSF World Cup final appearance.
He dominated the men’s final, leading from the second competition stage and finishing with 243.1 points, with Germany’s 24-year-old 2023 World Cup Final champion Robin Walter taking silver on 238.7.
“I am very happy to win this gold because this is the first time for me to get in a final in an international competition,” he told ISSF TV. “Before I got to the final I just wanted to learn something from the experience of being in it. But unexpectedly I have won the gold medal, so it was a surprise!”
Asked about the previous day’s bronze medal win, he added:
“Of course it improved my confidence. I feel after these finals I am not so nervous. I was able to control my mind and do things easily.”
Xie’s 28-year-old team-mate Zhang commented:”I am very happy to be back here and to get another medal. Every time I come back here I have different feelings and different things I improve. For me, Baku is a lucky place.
“Of course the medal is important for my confidence for Paris. During this competition there was something I was doing not so well in the finals but this means I can prepare more when I go back to China and when I go to Paris.”
Walter told ISSF TV: “This competition was a good training for the Olympics, but I still need to do an internal shoot-off with my friend Michale Schwald, so it is not sure that I can go to the Olympic Games. But I will try!”
South Korea’s Lee Wonho missed the podium by one place, with Uzbekistan’s Mukhammad Kamalov, 21, finishing fifth, one place ahead of Britain’s James Miller.
Turkey’s 51-year-old four-times Olympian Yusuf Dikec, who had topped the 78 qualifiers ahead of Walter, was seventh, and world bronze medallist Kiril Kirov of Bulgaria eighth.
Jedrzejewski, who won World Cup silver in Baku two years ago, finished on 243.0, two points ahead of South Korea’s Kim Yeji.
The French athlete had secured the fifth of the eight qualifying places for the women’s final, with Austria’s 41-year-old Tokyo 2020 Olympian Sylvia Steiner topping the list ahead of China’s Li and Jiang.
Jedrzejewski’s delight in her victory was obvious as she punched the air with both fists and grinned at her jubilant supporters – and when she wiped away tears on the podium. It was an ideal encouragement ahead of her home Olympics.
“I am really proud of myself that I made a good final,” she told ISSF TV. “I already had medals this season in 25m but not for a llong time in the 10m!”
Asked how she had managed to remain calm in a contest where her lead came under some later pressure from her Korean opponent, she replied:
“There was a little bit of stress in the beginning when I saw my name on the top. But then I was like ‘be confident in yourself, you are doing a great job, continue again and again.’
“I felt strong emotionally and physically to continue until the end. So it was really good to shoot at this kind of level.”
Looking ahead to this summer’s home Olympics, she added: “First of all being in the final and preparing myself to compete against the best in the world just before the Olympics – the job is done today, so I hope it continues like that for the 25 event.”
Despite her qualifying showing, Steiner could only finish sixth in the final, one place behind Korea’s 25m pistol world record holder Yang Jiin.
Seventh place went to Hong Kong’s Ho Ching Shing, with Serbia’s 10m air pistol world record holder Zorana Arunovic finishing eighth.
The 10m air rifle mixed team final saw victory go to China’s teenage pairing of 17-yeaar-old Huang Yuting and 19-year-old Sheng Lihao, who became the youngest shooting medallist in Olympic history at the Tokyo 2020 Games as he won 10m air rifle silver aged 16.
They defeated their team-mates Han Jiayu, the world individual champion, and 21-year-old Du Linshu, 17-15 in the gold-medal match.
All four of the Chinese athletes have had their places confirmed for Paris 2024, with Du set to compete in the 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions.
The bronze-medal match saw Italy’s Sofia Ceccarello and Danilo Sollazzo beat the Austrian pairing of Olivia Hofman and 34-year-old 50m rifle 3 positions world champion Alexander Schmirl 16-14.
The World Cup runs until Saturday, May 11.
All finals are being live-streamed on the ISSF YouTube and Facebook channels.