CHATEAUROUX - South Korean shooter Yang Ji-in triumphed in the women's 25-meter pistol event at the Paris Olympics, clinching her country's third shooting gold of the competition on Saturday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yang secured the victory over French shooter Camille Jedrzejewski in a dramatic shoot-off, concluding a tightly contested final at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. The final showdown came after both competitors were locked at 37-37 following the regulation ten series of shots, leading to a tense shoot-off where Yang prevailed with a 4-1 score.
The competition format involved an initial three series of five shots each, with each hit scoring above 10.2 points. The field was progressively narrowed down at the end of each series, eliminating the lowest scorer until only two shooters remained to compete for the gold. Yang maintained a narrow lead throughout the event, which dwindled to a single point advantage over Jedrzejewski and Manu Bhaker of India by the seventh series. After Bhaker and then Veronika Major of Hungary were eliminated, Yang and Jedrzejewski entered the final series tied, each managing four hits to necessitate a shoot-off.
In the shoot-off, Jedrzejewski struggled, missing her first three attempts, while Yang hit two of her first three shots and then sealed her victory with a fourth hit, securing the gold.
This victory marks a significant achievement for Yang, aged 21, who joins an elite group of South Korean medalists in this event, including 2012 gold medalist Kim Jang-mi and 2021 silver medalist Kim Min-jung. South Korea's shooting team has seen considerable success in Paris, markedly improving from their performance in Tokyo where they secured only a single medal. With three golds and two silvers already in their tally and more events to go, South Korea has matched its record for the most medals won at a single Olympics, a feat last achieved at the 2012 London Games.