CAIRO, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) — Reigning Olympic champion Liu Yukun, along with Yao Qianxun and Hu Kai, led one other triumphant day for China at the 2025 Worldwide Taking pictures Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol on Tuesday in Cairo.
Persevering with China’s commanding type, Liu gained the boys’s 50-meter rifle three positions title and the duo of Yao and Hu captured the 10-meter air pistol combined crew gold later within the day, each edging Indian opponents in tight finals.
In a tense males’s 50-meter rifle three positions remaining, Liu totaled 467.1 factors to narrowly beat India’s Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, who scored 466.9. France’s Romain Aufrere took bronze with 454.8.
The outcome got here a day after India’s Samrat Rana edged China’s Hu by 0.4 factors for the boys’s 10-meter air pistol gold. Liu’s victory additional strengthened China’s lead within the medal desk, with India in pursuit.
“The Indian and European shooters did put some stress on me. They’re all acquainted rivals, however they’ve clearly improved,” Liu advised Xinhua. “I had a niche yr with out a lot competitors, whereas others saved progressing, so I did really feel the stress.”
Reflecting on his decisive remaining shot, Liu mentioned he centered solely on execution. “I wasn’t in my greatest type at present. I simply advised myself to focus and shoot a ten. If he did higher, he deserved to win. Whoever performs higher ought to take the title.”
Regardless of the slender margin, Liu stayed composed. “Even when I hadn’t gained, I would not remorse it. I feel my efficiency was acceptable and I am proud of it,” he mentioned.
He in contrast the duel to a high-level sport. “A bit like enjoying a online game the place everybody’s at an analogous degree.” It left him each excited and motivated, he added, calling the competition intense and enjoyable.
Later within the day, Yao and Hu prolonged China’s run by defeating India’s Samrat and Esha Singh 16-10 within the 10-meter air pistol combined crew remaining, including to China’s haul in Cairo, the place Yao earlier gained the ladies’s particular person title and Hu completed runner-up within the males’s occasion.
“There have been ups and downs, however general it was inside the regular vary,” mentioned Yao. “I at all times compete in a number of occasions, and I consider day-after-day is a brand new begin, so it doesn’t matter what occurred the day gone by, it should not have an effect on the subsequent competitors.”
Yao downplayed her streak, attributing it to “higher luck,” and mentioned her focus is to “do the work that must be performed every day.”
The win additionally introduced fast redemption for Hu, who had narrowly missed the boys’s particular person title a day earlier. This time, he and Yao delivered a composed efficiency that bolstered China’s sturdy week.
“I really feel a bit higher than yesterday,” Hu mentioned, crediting his teammate for preserving the pair in rivalry. “I used to be performing poorly within the qualification spherical, could not regulate. However Yao shot nicely and pulled me by means of — it gave me an opportunity to start out over,” he added, calling the partnership “very nice.”
Samrat and Singh’s silver highlighted India’s profitable run, following Samrat’s males’s 10-meter air pistol gold and Anish Bhanwala’s males’s 25-meter fast fireplace pistol silver earlier within the championship.
Within the bronze match, South Korea’s Oh Ye-jin and Hong Su-hyeon beat Iran’s Haniyeh Rostamiyan and Vahid Golkhandan 16-8.
The 2025 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol, hosted by Egypt from Nov. 6 to 18, options greater than 700 shooters from all over the world. ■
