Yang Jing, representing Yinchuan of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, grabbed the gold medal of women's 10-meter air rifle at the 6th Chinese City Games in Wuhan, central China on Monday with 502.6 points.

 

Marching into the final with 399 points, the 23-year-old sharpshooter appeared relaxed entering the shooting range and waved to the audiences before start of the competition.

 

She scored eight of the ten shots above ten points to surpass Zhang Yi, 21, gold medalist in the 2006 world championships junior group who led in the qualification round with 400 points.

 

Zhang, whose marks fluctuated greatly in the final, ended up third with 500.8 points.

 

Competing with ace athletes like Zhang, Yang said she was not afraid at all.

 

"My only job is to do my best, not caring about others," she beamed. Yang's next goal is the National Games in 2009.

 

"I couldn't participate in the Olympic Games," she said. "But I hope that I could win in the National Games."

 

"The girl is decisive and confident," said Yang's coach Liu Jing, noting that the gold is the only medal Ningxia won in City Games.

 

"Far northwestern China turns out few shooters," said Wang Jiancai, chief judge of the shooting events.

 

Stopped in the qualification round at last session of City Games, Zhang Yi appeared disappointed at the result this time, citing lack of practice as the major cause of her failure.

 

"I was just back from the World Cup Final earlier this October," she said. "And I practiced for just several hours."

 

The silver medal fell into the pocket of 19-year-old Xie Jieqiong from Jinan of northeast China's Shandong Province with 501.3 points.

 

Wang Yifu, head coach of the national shooting team, was dissatisfied with their performances.

 

"Their scores in the final are too low," he said. "Du Li would do much better." Du kept the world record of the discipline with 504.9 points.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)