Defending champion Grozdeva tipped to complete a hat-trick
12/8/2008 16:59
Shooting competition tomorrow is not just an occasion for athletes to gain
medals, but a chance for many countries to end their gold medal
drought.
Defending champion Maria Grozdeva of Bulgaria has grabbed gold of
women's 25-meter pistol at the Sydney and Athens Olympics. The 36-year-old
mother of three is tipped to complete a hat-trick.
Serbia's Jasna Sekaric
will be one of her major challengers. The 43-year-old was a popular athlete in
her country. "I've been doing the sport for 20 years. And I was always expected
to win by my country and my people," she said.
Gold medalist in the 1988
Seoul Olympics who raked in three silver medals in following Olympics at women's
10-meter air pistol, the veteran shooter finished her Olympic competition in the
discipline this time empty-handed. Maybe she is keen to make up for the miss
tomorrow.
Mongolian shooters Munkzul Tsogbadrah and Gundegmaa Otryad are also
competitive in the event, especially the latter who was champion at the 2006
World Cup Final and finished sixth in the event in Sydney and Athens
Olympics.
Russian shooter Natalia Paderina is coming again. The 33-year-old
just won a silver in 10-meter air pistol. Maybe her comeback this time would
bring her nation, a shooting powerhouse and sports tycoon, the first Olympic
gold medal this time.
Two Chinese markswomen will be competing with
them.
This is the Olympic debut of 26-year-old Fei Fengji from Shanghai.
"Hopefully you could become a dark horse this time," said Gao Zhidan, leader of
the Chinese shooting squad before the Olympics. She had snatched silvers in 2005
World Cup Final and 2006 World Championships.
Chen Ying will take part in her
second Olympics. The world champion with at least half a dozen gold medals from
the discipline in international events was fourth-placer at the Athens Games.
Although her coach said she was not in shape lately, who knows if tomorrow will
see a breakthrough of the 30-year-old Beijinger?
Xinhua
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