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China comes out all guns blazing, wins six golds

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-12-02 20:38

DOHA, Dec 2 - China's Asian Games campaign started with a bang on Saturday with their shooters sweeping all six gold medals up for grabs in the event.

Chen Li(C) and Zhu Mei(L) go one-two at women's trap shooting. [Xinhua]

Favourite Chen Li, 32, showed her class in trap shooting despite shifting winds, leading China to a one-two finish in the individual trap and capturing the team title with Wang Yujin and Zhu Mei.

Chen clinched 89 from a possible 100 in the trap for gold, with compatriot Zhu taking silver following a shoot-off with Taiwan's Lin Yi-chun.

Liu Tianyou and Du Li won the men's and women's 10m air rifle titles respectively, while China also won men's and women's 10m air rifle team gold.

"I perform as usual, nothing special," a super cool Chen said. "But I'm very happy for the win."

The men's air rifle team kicked things off by winning the first gold of the Games in the Qatari capital.

Olympic champion Zhu Qinan, reigning Games champion Li Jie and Liu Tianyou tallied 1,786 points, nine ahead of South Korea's Yu Jae-chul, Chae Kean-bae and Kim Hye-sung.

The Indian trio of Gagan Narang, P.T. Raghunath and Navanath Fartade took the bronze medal.

UNDER PRESSURE

The 24-year-old Liu went on to upstage his compatriots by bagging the individual air rifle gold, with Zhu relegated to silver and South Korea's Yu Jae-chul taking bronze.

Chinese head coach Wang Yifu was pleased with the team's start.

"Overall we performed very well today, but our shooters were a bit nervous and under pressure," he said.

"It is not easy to win a gold medal in the rifle event because Korea and India shooters are very strong competitors.

"I'm confident our shooters perform the best under pressure."

China won 27 shooting gold medals at the 2002 Pusan Games, including 15 in team events.