The 19-year-old Thrasher became the first freshman to win both individual NCAA rifle titles and helped West Virginia win the team title.
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Thrasher finished a point ahead of two-time gold medalist Li Du of China.
“It was nerve-wracking. My heart was pounding but I would not have changed it”, said Thrasher.
Thrasher, a Springfield, Va., native who first fired a gun five years ago when she felled a whitetail deer while hunting with her grandfather, was one of eight competitors to emerge from the 50-woman qualification round Saturday morning.
Thrasher deflected questions about gun control in her country, saying the “controversialness” of the gun debate “is a distraction from our sport”.
She began her finals bid with a stunning bull’s-eye that yielded a flawless score of 10.9, eventually outlasting Serbia’s top-ranked Andrea Arsovic and China’s defending Olympic champion Siling Yi. “I kind of dreamed of going to the Olympics in it, but it was a very unrealistic dream”.
Thrasher will be back at the West Virginia University next week, where she is starting her sophomore year majoring in biomedical engineering.
Virginia Thrasher went through a three-week spring whirlwind, winning three NCAA titles and a spot on the U.S. Olympic shooting team. She also competed in the 2012 London Games and pulled off a clutch shot in the Rio final, hitting 10.9 to stay alive in the second round.
USA teenager Virginia Thrasher claimed the first Rio Olympics gold medal with her final shot in the shooting on Saturday. She picked up the medal in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Finals.
“It was something I loved, but it was a hobby”, she said.
“I focused on breathing, I was here to give it my best shot”.
“This is very special for me”, Thrasher added.
Thousands of police and soldiers were patrolling the city amid concerns about safety as athletes opened the first full day of the Olympics in more than 20 sports a day after some spectators at the opening ceremony came upon the body of a man who had been shot dead near Maracana Stadium.
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“I’m actually looking forward to getting back to school again”, Thrasher said.
