CHATEAUROUX, FRANCE — South Korean shooters Park Ha-jun and Keum Ji-hyeon clinched a silver medal in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, marking the country's first medal of the 33rd Summer Games.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the duo faced a tough challenge against Chinese shooters Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting, ultimately losing 16-12 in the gold medal match held at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. This event was the first medal competition of the Olympics, setting the stage for intense performances. Park and Keum initially led by capturing the first series but were overtaken as the Chinese team gained momentum, securing three consecutive series to establish a lead.
Throughout the final, each shooter was required to fire single shots within a 50-second time frame, aiming for a maximum score of 10.9 points per shot. Scores from each team member were combined to form the team's total for each series, with the higher score earning two points. The dynamic shifted several times during the match, with South Korea making a brief comeback to narrow the score to 14-12 before China solidified their win in the 14th series.
The performance by Park and Keum highlights a significant effort by South Korea to improve upon their results from the 2021 Olympics, where the nation won only one silver medal. The team has set a target of six medals for this year's Games, starting strong with this early achievement in rifle shooting.