Paris Olympics: China’s teen shooting sensations grab gold, vow ‘this is just the beginning’
- Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting win first gold of the Games, breezing past South Korean rivals in mixed team 10m air rifle
China got their Paris Olympics off to the perfect start, picking up the first two gold medals of the opening day, and could add to that tally on Sunday with shooting, archery, judo, skateboarding and canoe slalom podium spots up for grabs.
Early leaders in a medal table they have aspirations of topping for the first time since the Beijing Games in 2008, there will be gold to be had in swimming events overnight too.
As widely predicted, teenage shooters Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the first gold of the day in the mixed team 10m air rifle, and were quickly followed by diving duo Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani in the women’s 3m synchronised springboard.
Sheng and Huang went into the final against South Korea’s Park Ha-jun and Keum Jih-yeon as world champions, and never really looked like losing
“[Compared to other competitions] the essence of the match is the same, what I need to do in every match is the same,” 17-year-old Huang said. “This is an Olympic contest, so there will be more eyes on us, so that might affect us and outside influences could affect performance, so we just need to be stronger [in this type of contest].”
Still only 19 years old, Sheng said his win in the mixed team 10m air rifle alongside Huang Yuting was “only the beginning”.
