India's Apurvi Chandela won the first gold medal with a new world record score in women's 10m air rifle event at the 2019 ISSF World Cup, which started in New Delhi today. The 10m Air Rifle Women Final took place at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range.
Chandela set a new world record of 252.9 points, out of 24 final shots. That means she scored more than 10.5 points per shot, on average, throughout the final: an exceptional achievement.
However, both the silver and bronze medals went to players from China. Zhao Ruozhu finished second with 251.8 points while her compatriot Xu Hong had to settle for the third spot with 230.4.
Chandela had a slow start in the final. Her first shot went 10.1. After the first two series of five shots, she was at the 7th position. But as the game progressed, she gained the momentum to stay on top.
“I do not usually plan my scoring like that. I think, at the start, my positioning was a little off. So, I tweaked my settings a bit, which eventually bore the result,” the shooter said at a press conference after the match
“Competing on my home turf added some extra pressure,” Chandela said, on winning in front of her home crowd. “At the same time, to hear them cheering gave me the motivation for strong competition.”
She also said, “I started shooting in 2008, after Abhinav Bindra’s victory at the 2008 Olympic Games. My family always supported me, and they are a big part of my success. My mum was here, in the crowd: She always follows me.”
“My aim is Tokyo 2020. Games are the big dream. The road to Tokyo is still long, I won’t stop here, there are many international competitions ahead of me, before that,' she added.
Chandela, who has booked a place for the 2020 Olympics last year, bagged her third individual medal at a World Cup. Chandela won a bronze medal at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon in 2015, gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the National Championships in 2012.
Read also: Stellar Showcase Of Women Power at Aero India 2019
Sonakshi Goel is an intern with SheThePeople.TV
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