By Xinhua
Bangkok : Promising Srao Harveen of India Friday became the first Universiade shooting champion here by winning the women’s 10-metre air pistol individual event.
Harveen, 21, India’s national champion in 2006, collected the highest score of 388 points in the qualification round and 98.1 points in the 10-shot final for a winning total of 486.1.
“My personal best qualification result is 390 points, which was achieved in the national championships last year,” said Harveen.
Ukrainian Olena Kostevych, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games gold medallist, took the silver medal with a total score of 483.5 points (394+99.3), followed by Russia’s Kira Mozgalova with 481.8 points (384+97.8).
Harveen helped India win the team bronze in this event with 1,143 points. Ukraine won the gold medal with 1,153 and South Korea the silver with 1,151.
Russia leads the medal standing in shooting with two gold and one bronze. Ukraine is second with one gold and three silver and India is placed third with one gold and one bronze.
“I was eighth in the World Cup in the US and ninth in Sydney,” said Harveen.
“I took this competition as preparation for the Beijing Olympics. However, I still need to win a place in the squad in the national championships this year.”
The final of the women’s 10m air pistol, the first-ever shooting final in the Universiade history, saw world-class marks with all finalists’ qualification scores higher than 384 points out of 40 shots.
The four-day shooting competition offers 40 gold medals in 20 events.
Results (women’s 10m air pistol):
1. Srao Harveen (India) 486.1 points (388 in qualifiers + 98.1 in finals)
2. Olena Kostevych (Ukraine) 483.5 (384+99.5)
3. Kira Mozgalova (Russia) 481.8 (384+97.8)
4. Viktoria Chaika (Belarus) 481.4 (384+97.4)
5. Inna Kryachko (Ukraine) 479.5 (384+95.5)
6. Yuliya Korrostylova (Ukraine) 479.0 (385+94.0)
7. In So Youn (South Korea) 477.4 (386+91.4)
8. Munkhzul Tsogbadrah (Mongolia) 476.9 (385+91.9)