China won the first two gold medals of the Paris Olympics on Saturday, continuing the county’s dominance in diving while defending its victory in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event. China has ruled diving for decades and three years ago in Tokyo it won seven of eight gold medals. But it’s never pulled off the elusive gold sweep. That’s the goal this time.
It was a perfect start for the team of Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen as they won the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard with 337.68 points on five dives. They were followed by Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook of the United States with 314.64 points and the British team of Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen with bronze and 302.28 points.
The same Chinese duo also won gold in the last three world championships and were heavy favorites going in.
Earlier, at the Olympic shooting range in the city of Chateauroux, Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao opened up an early four-point lead against South Korea’s Keum Jihyeon and Park Hajun in the head-to-head for the gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event and stayed ahead from there to win 16-12.
“My main feeling is just happiness. The match was quite hard, but being able to do a personal best performance helped a lot,” said Sheng, 19. China also won the event three years ago in Tokyo, when Yang Qian and Yang Haoran took the gold medal as team air rifle shooting made its debut on the Olympic program.
On the sideline, the games’ organisers are facing major security challenges, including cyberattack concerns, amid high international tensions because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
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