Virginia “Ginny” Thrasher of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Finals on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Shooting Centre on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was not considered a gold medal contender coming into the Rio Games and, in the finals, defeated two Chinese shooters who have medaled in the event previously.
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She then joined her high school air rifle team and was recruited by West Virginia University, where she became a national collegiate champion as a freshman this year.
“I didn’t really care much about the Olympics”, Thrasher told The Post last month, after she qualified for the USA team. And now, here she is winning the first Olympic gold of the Rio Games; what a difference three years (and an unbelievable amount of perseverance) can make.
“I knew if I made the final that anything could happen”, Thrasher said of her most improbable rise from middle-of-the-pack obscurity to the top of the medal stand.
Du finished with 1 point behind Ms. Thrasher, while Yi ended the event with 185.4 points.
“When I was in eighth grade my grandfather took me hunting”, she said.
“I just tried to focus on the competition”, Thrasher said.
Shooting wasn’t really Thrasher’s main sport.
The United States has claimed its first gold in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
About halfway through the finals, Thrasher was certain that she “was in contention for a medal”, the Associated Press reported (via Business Insider). Thrasher moved ahead after the seventh and eighth shot.
Three weeks later she went to US Olympic team trials and prevailed over “a seasoned and talented field”, according to the USA Shooting team website.
However, what may come as a sole respite is the fact that the Pakistan Navy shooter managed more points than her Indian counterparts, who secured 34th and 47th ranks. “I was at first a little disappointed that China wasn’t able to win gold in some events”.
Thrasher, 19, beat silver medalist Du Li of China in the final round with a total of 208.0, setting an Olympic record in the finals. “I’m very thankful to be here four years later”.
“I am honestly just happy to be here”.
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Yi took a similar path as Thrasher’s, earning air rifle gold at the 2012 London Games just three years after starting her worldwide shooting career. “I also looked up and saw that Virginia and Du Li were doing well themselves”.
