nation-world
Teen Sensation Ban Hyo-jin Claims Olympic Gold in Nail-Biting Sudden-Death Shoot-off
Both the gold and silver medalists were teenagers, tied in a shoot-off after reaching a score that gave both an Olympic record.
CHÂTEAUROUX, France — In a showcase of precision and nerve, 16-year-old Ban Hyojin from South Korea captured an Olympic gold medal by a razor-thin margin of one-tenth of a point. This victory unfolded during a dramatic shoot-off, pitting the young shooter against China’s 17-year-old Huang Yuting.
Ban and Huang were locked in a tie at 251.8 points after 22 shots, both setting a new Olympic record. However, it was the final moments that determined the winner. When the realization of her victory hit, Ban looked skyward, visibly emotional, and embraced her coach amid tears and cheers.
“At this young age, I felt a lot of pressure coming to France without my family and being alone,” Ban shared. “But after the match, seeing my fellow countrypeople cheering for me, I felt like ‘finally.’”
Ban’s path to gold was far from certain. With a 1.3-point lead and two shots remaining, she seemed secure. Her consistency wavered as she shot 9.9 and 9.6, allowing Huang to close the gap and force the tiebreaker shoot-off. In that crucial moment, Ban shot a 10.4, narrowly beating Huang’s 10.3.
Huang managed to secure her second medal of the games. She, along with her teammate Sheng Lihao, claimed the 10-meter mixed team air rifle gold on Saturday, marking the first gold medal awarded at the 2024 Olympics.
The bronze medal in the women’s event went to Switzerland’s Audrey Gogniat after being eliminated with a score of 230.3. The United States’ Sagen Maddalena finished fourth, keeping the team yet to secure a shooting medal.
Sheng Lihao continued China’s dominance in the shooting events by winning the men’s 10-meter air rifle. Sheng set an Olympic record with a score of 252.02, finishing just .8 points ahead of Sweden’s Victor Lindgren. Croatia’s Miran Maricic took the bronze.
With this victory, Sheng became the first athlete to win two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, solidifying his place in the record books.