Shooters to start Olympic with a bang

China's search for gold at the London Olympics will start with a bang – quite literally.

Scheduled as the first event to produce a gold medalist in London, the women's 10-meter air rifle final will take place at southeast London's Royal Artillery Barracks on July 28 (Beijing time).

The Chinese shooting squad, which bagged the 2004 Athens Games' first gold, wants to inspire the whole delegation again by getting the country off to another flying start.

However, the absence of some of the team's 'old guns' has put that quest in some jeopardy.

Veteran Du Li, who won that first gold in Athens, could miss out on the London Games (the 10m contest) as she missed the first session of the national trials last August to have a baby

Although she has returned to the national camp reinvigorated, the 28-year-old is not likely to reload at the 10-meter range.

Two youngsters, Yi Siling and Yu Dan, have all but booked their spots in that event with good performances at the trials and recent international events.

Head coach Wang Yifu is upbeat about the young guns' chances of shooting down the first gold.

"Not matter if it's the first or the last gold medal, we will try our best to take it. With all of the nation's support, we believe we can do it (win the women's 10m air rifle)," Wang said recently at the 2012 Li Ning Olympic outfits launch in Beijing.

"Yi is a very good shooter. Her close win at the German World Cup (last month) proved her mental strength," said Wang. "She will definitely appear at the 10m rifle range in London."

Yi shot to fame in her World Championships debut in 2010 by breaking the world record in the 10m rifle. The 23-year-old has now emerged as the leader among the country's young markswomen.

However, there remain concerns that a lack of experience could affect her on the high-pressure Olympic stage.

Du's Olympic meltdown in 2008 set a painful precedent.

Shouldering huge expectations and title-defending pressure, Du missed the target at the 10m event at the Beijing Olympics, finishing fifth and surrendering the first gold to Czech rival Katerina Emmons.

Despite a golden effort in the 50-meter event, Du decided to temporarily retire from the sport for two years after the Beijing Games.

"Although our shooters have collected many medals (in rifle events), we will not take the results in London for granted as one tiny flaw could possibly spoil the party," team manager Xiao Haopeng told Xinhua earlier this year.

Veteran Du remains keen to shoot in her favorite event and has earned the support of the media, who have suggested replacing Yu with Du.

"I have a deep affection for the event and I won't give my fight for an entry in it until the end," said Du, who was listed among the 50 worldwide contenders for London by BBC Sports.

Coach Wang has not ruled out late roster adjustments, but has stressed he has great confidence in the new wave of shooters.

"Our Olympic selection process is clear and fair," Wang said. "Anyone who qualified at the trials deserves a spot on the team and will shoulder the responsibility of competing for gold. We trust our young guns … just like we did Du years ago."

Claiming a record five titles in Beijing four years ago, the Chinese shooters made a major contribution to the nation's 51-gold medal haul on home soil. Chinese shooters also rank second on the all-time Olympic medal table with a total 19 gold – well behind the United States' 50.

However, European rivals, who have shown a sharp rise in form over the past three World Cup series events in London, Milan and Munich, will pose a major threat to China.

"Our foreign opponents shot very well at the World Cup. It was good for us to see our shortcomings and improve on those areas," said Wang, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the men's 10m air pistol in 1992 and 2004.

The team will soon select a coastal training center to emulate the conditions likely to be experienced in London as it enters its final phase of Games preparations, Wang said.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn