Paris 2024 Olympics: Republic of Korea's Oh Ye Jin smashes Olympic record to win historic women's 10m air pistol gold
When Oh Ye Jin and Kim Yeji arrived in the Paris 2024 Olympic village, they knew that they would be sharing a room. What they didn't know, was that they would also be sharing the Olympic podium just a few days later.
Teammates and roomates Oh and Kim delivered an impressive showdown at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre, both surpassing the previous women's shooting 10m air pistol Olympic record of 240.3 set by Vitalina Batsarashkina in Tokyo 2020.
But it was Oh who made history in Paris, becoming the first Olympic champion from the Republic of Korea in the process.
The 19-year-old clinched gold after a closely contested battle that saw several lead changes throughout. Oh eventually outpaced Kim, who scored 241.3 by demonstrating remarkable precision, with eight of her last nine shots scoring at least 10 points out of a possible 10.9.
“I’m very happy we scored first and second," the newly-crowned Olympic champion said. "I thought this was really helpful because we could really help each other, so there was less pressure for us.
"She is my roommate, and thanks to her, I could feel less pressure for the match.”
Silver-medallist Kim said Oh is like a sister to her. "I do not view her as my rival. I always want to care for her and always be there for her. So when she won the gold medal, I was extra happy.
"This is a big stage, the Olympics, and we won the gold and silver. When we won these medals, we were so proud we are Koreans."
The bronze medal went to India's Manu Bhaker who finished with a score of 221.7 before the gold-medal showdown between the Republic of Korea teammates. This marked India's first medal at Paris 2024 and its first-ever in women's shooting.
Bhaker beamed with the bronze around her neck. “I am happy to do this for my country and my people, and you always need to be on your toes and be prepared. I’m very grateful for this medal, and it was long due."
"I have three more events and three more matches to shoot," she added. "I hope India finishes strong and win as many medals as possible in shooting and in other events.”
Shooting: 10m Air Pistol Women's podium
Gold: Oh Ye Jin, Republic of Korea
Silver: Kim Yeji, Republic of Korea
Bronze: Manu Bhaker, India
What's next for shooting?
The women's and men's 10m air rifle finals take place on Monday, with Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, looking to take their second gold at Paris 2024. Sheng topped the qualification standings ahead of Argentina's Marcelo Julian Gutierrez.
16-year-old Ban Hyojin of the Republic of Korea also qualified first in the women's field, setting another qualification Olympic record with a mark of 634.5.