Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal.
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Thrasher, a sophomore at West Virginia, was a dark horse competing against an experienced and talented field of shooters, and was thought to be out of medal contention, even though she is an NCAA champion. Bad guys better watch out because Ginny Thrasher is come for you, and she’s got deadeye aim. Thrasher’s first shot was a ideal score of 10.5, followed by a almost flawless second score of 10.4.
Like all American shooters, Thrasher faced the inevitable question of what she thinks about gun control in the United States, a hot-button issue in this election year.
“I heard the cheers and the horns and it was very disturbing”, Yi said.
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. Yi won Olympic gold in the 2012 London Games. Her cumulative score of 208.0 left her only one point ahead of her competitor and two-time gold medalist, Li Du.
It was the fourth Olympics for 34-year-old veteran Du, who won the title at the same event 12 years ago in Athens, Greece.
In a little over a week, Thrasher will leave Rio for home in West Virginia, happy to go back to a “normal routine” – an 8.30am physics class, just 20 hours after she touches down.
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“Halfway through when I took the lead it was clear to me I had a chance, I was taking one shot at a time”. What is worth noting is that, despite having proved herself in her country, she was never considered a favourite for the gold.
