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U.S. Teen Wins First Gold Medal Of Rio Olympics In Rifle Shooting

Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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American Virginia Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the women’s 10m air rifle.

Thrasher,19, who is ranked 23 in the world, beat out China’s two time past gold medalist Du Li with a score of 208, an Olympic record. Thrasher shot a 10.5 in the final round, placing her just ahead of Du, allowing her to win the event. Du won the silver while her teammate Yi Siling won the bronze medal.

Thrasher, a native of Springfield, Virginia, competes in collegiate level shooting for West Virginia University, where she majors in engineering. She holds over 20 USA Shooting and National Rifle Association records.

The rifle events at the Olympics include qualification rounds, where competitors fire rounds at a 10-ring target. The top eight scores went to the finals. Different rules apply to each event relating to how many shots can be fired. During the finals 10 rings were subdivided into 10 score zones (10.0-10.9, with 10.9 being the highest point total).

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