Asian Games: China's team gold reinstated, Ayonika finishes seventh

Ayonika Paul

Incheon: India's Ayonika Paul Monday finished a disappointing seventh in the women's 10-metre air rifle event while China were confirmed winners of the team gold after judges overturned an earlier decision to disqualify them from the 17th Asian Games.

The Chinese trio of Yi Siling, Zhang Binbin and Wu Liuxi combined for 1,253.8 points to win the team gold at Ongnyeon International Shooting Range, breaking the world record set by their own team mates last year by 0.1 point. Iran won the silver and Singapore bronze.

Ayonika Paul. Pic/ AFP

But shortly after, the Chinese team was disqualified after judges ruled Zhang's rifle had violated regulations concerning maximum weight limits. The decision, however, was later overturned following an appeal by the Chinese and Zhang was allowed to compete for the individual title and she ended up winning the bronze medal with a score of 186.3 points.

Iran finished 1-2 in the individual section with Najmeh Khedmati (207.9) clinching the gold medal and Narjes Emamgholinejad Andevari (206.6) taking the silver. Ayonika, a silver medallist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finished seventh and was the second to be eliminated from the final round with a score of 101.9. She qualified for the final after she finished third in the qualifying round.

In the team event, the silver went to Iranian trio of Najmeh (417.2), Narjes (416.3) and Elaheh Ahmadi (412.4), with a total score of 1245.9. The South Korean team of Kim Seola (416), Kim Gaenam (414.4) and Jeong Mira (411.2) grabbed silver with a tally of 1241.6.

The Indian team comprising Ayonika Paul (417.7), Apurvi Chandela (413.8), and Raj Chaudhary (407.6) finished sixth with a tally of 1,239.1.

In the team component, the combined scores of three shooters for each country in the individual qualification round determine the medalists.