RIO DE JANEIRO – The Olympics began in full with the first gold medal going to an American teenager by the fearsome name of Thrasher.
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Thrasher, the youngest of the 15 members of the USA rifle team, bested a field of 50 competitors, comfortably winning the final duel with China’s Du Li, who won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
She began her finals bid with a stunning bull’s-eye that yielded a ideal score of 10.9, eventually outlasting Serbia’s top-ranked Andrea Arsovic and China’s defending Olympic champion Siling Yi.
A fine first day for the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games ended Saturday where US hopes often are brightest, in the swimming pool.
Until today, all the news centered on 19-year-old teen Virginia Thrasher underscored her brilliant form that booked her a seat to Rio.
Thrasher entered the final with a 0.7-point lead and opened with a solid 10.5, which Li matched. Ana Paula Rodrigues led the way with 12 goals for Brazil, which has never won an Olympic handball medal. It was Yi who won Gold in the 10mm air rifle event at London in 2012.
On the beach volleyball course, legendary volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and her new partner, April Ross, picked up a big win over Australia.
While the victor can look forward to many more Games, Rio may have been Du’s last appearance at an Olympics.
The freshman won national titles in both small-bore and air rifle during the NCAA championships in March.
China’s Du Li, who set an Olympic record with a 420.7 score in qualifying, took the silver with 207.
“To have a final that was an honor to be a part of, win and stand on the podium and hear my nation’s anthem was a very pride-instilling moment for me”, she said. “I have been travelling internationally the entire summer, and this is just the icing on the cake”, said the West Virginia University student. Coming into the Olympics, her best finish at a World Cup was fourth in Munich this year.
Thrasher learned to love shooting while hunting deer with her grandfather when she was in eighth grade. The first one of the 2016 games.
The 41-year-old Hoang Xuan Vinh won Vietnam’s first Olympic gold medal with his last shot in the men’s 10m air pistol event. “I was focusing on just shooting the best that I could, and that got me there”. “The first gold medal for Rio 2016, for U.S. at 19 years old is incredible”. “I’m very overwhelmed, but it’s the happiest feeling on earth”.
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She arrived at WVU with just a few years’ experience in the sport.
