Chinese sharpshooter Gao E led all the way to snatch gold in women's trap with 93 hits at the Good Luck Beijing ISSF World Cup on Monday.

The silver fell into the pocket of Pak Yong Hui from DPR Korea who made 90 hits while Russian shooter Irina Laricheva finished third with 89 hits.

Gao, 46, Olympic bronze medalist with a bagful of golds in World Cups, topped among six finalists with 71 hits gained in the qualification round. In the 25-hit final, she managed to shoot down 22 birds, maintaining her advantage to the last minute and finished far ahead.

Commenting on the performances of her rivals, Gao said, "they are quite competitive, but I am also a good shooter."

The shooter attributes her victory to relaxation. "Because the competitor for the Olympic has already been chosen, I am relaxed," she said.

There is only one ticket for the discipline to the Olympic Games, so the shooter is not going to compete there.

Despite a bad start with two losses, the 38-year-old Pak who was joint-winner of the event with Chinese shooter Zhang Shan at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, regained her sharpness gradually. Although she missed the last bird, aura of runner-up fell upon actually before end of the game.

Laricheva was champion of the 2001 World Shotgun Championship. The 44-year-old who entered the final after a shoot-off at the qualification round, notched up 21 hits in the final.

"I think I performed my normal level, and the final competition is much easier for me than the qualification round," she said.

The shooter, with a similar age as Gao, said they met many times on the shooting ranges.

"I do respect her," she said, "It is hard to crown on one's motherland."

Another Chinese shooter Liu Yingzi, who is to participate in the Olympic Games, and her teammate Chen Li downed 67 and 64 birds respectively and were hence brushed in the qualification round.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2008)