Chinese Shooter Yang Wins First Medal Of Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jul, 2021 ) :Chinese shooter Yang Qian won the first gold of the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday as Novak Djokovic prepared to launch his quest for tennis glory on day one of the pandemic-delayed Games.

Yang snatched a dramatic last-shot victory from Russia's Anastasiia Galashina in the women's 10-metre air rifle as attention switched from the troubled build-up to the sporting action after Friday's opening ceremony that was crowned by tennis star Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron.

Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar headlines a star-studded peloton in the men's road race while medals are also up for grabs in archery, fencing, judo, taekwondo and weightlifting.

Games chiefs are desperate for sport to take centre stage after the coronavirus forced a one-year postponement and dogged the build-up to the start of the Games in the Japanese capital.

But Covid-19 has cast a fresh shadow, forcing German cyclist Simon Geschke out of Saturday's men's road race while Dutch rower Finn Florijn has also tested positive.

Portuguese surfer Frederico Morais said he would miss the sport's Olympic debut after returning a positive test.

Organisers announced 17 new Games-related cases on Saturday, taking the total number to 123, of which 12 are athletes.

China's Yang claimed gold in the women's 10-metre air rifle with an Olympic record score of 251.8, edging ahead of Russian Anastasiia Galashina on 251.1 and Switzerland's Nina Christen on 230.6.

Galashina had looked poised to claim gold heading into the last shot, but stumbled with 8.9 on her final effort to allow Yang to seal victory.

"It's the 100th birthday of the Chinese Communist Party," she said. " I'm so happy that this golden medal is a gift to my country. I'm so proud."