Niccolo Campriani, silver medallist in 2012, went one better on Monday as he turned a deaf ear to the raucous crowd to claim the men’s 10m air rifle title at the Rio Olympics.
The Italian kept his cool to beat Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish, with Vladimir Maslennikov of Russia in bronze at the Deodoro shooting range.
Italy’s third gold of the Games put them level with powerhouses the United States, China and Australia at the top of the early medals table.
Shooting has undergone a revamp since London, and among the changes respectful silence has been replaced by vocal support and music blaring out from loudspeakers.
“It was really tough with all the noise,” said Campriani. “I had to change my natural timing to avoid shooting on the noise.
“Even if you’re not an expert you could see I was aiming all over the place.
“In this case technique doesn’t count, you just try to take the best possible shot in really tough conditions.
“The emotions are so strong, you try to hold on to a positive thought and don’t let it go.”
The shaven-headed shooter’s luck was finally in at the third attempt in the Olympic 10m air rifle after his second in London and 12th in Beijing.
The 2012 world shooter of the year began slowly, hitting the lead with five shots of the indoor final remaining.
He nailed the title by 1.5 points with a 10.7 score, only a pencil dot off a perfect hit, for a second Olympic gold after winning the 50m rifle three positions in 2012.
The 28-year-old Florence-born winner unites for a formidable double act with his girlfriend Petra Zublasing, after they bagged mixed-team 10m air rifle gold at last year’s inaugural European Games in Baku.
Abhinav Bindra, who captured India’s first and so far only individual Olympic gold medal in the event in Beijing in 2008, just missed out on a podium finish in fourth.
The 21-year-old runner-up Maslennikov, winning Russia’s 400th Olympic medal, revealed he’d been assisted by a previous trip to Brazil.

Phelps, Clos showdown

Michael Phelps, who worked late to bag his 19th Olympic gold medal, was back at it on Monday, securing his semifinal berth in the 200m butterfly in Rio de Janeiro.
The 31-year-old superstar admitted he wasn’t at his perkiest after helping the United States to a scintillating 4x100m freestyle relay win shortly before midnight on Sunday.
“I probably got to sleep at 3:00 am and was on an 11:00 am bus, so quick turnarounds,” Phelps said. “But the good thing is we have a long time between the prelims and finals, so we are able to rest. Hopefully I’ll get home and get a quick nap in and be ready for tonight.”
Phelps, who set the 200m fly world record in 2009 but surrendered the Olympic crown to Chad le Clos in 2012, clocked 1min 55.73 — fifth-fastest time of the heats, which were led by Tamas Kenderesi in 1:54.73. Kenderesi’s fellow Hungarian Laszlo Cseh was second-fastest in 1:55.14, with le Clos third-quickest in 1:55.57.
Katie Ledecky and Sarah Sjostrom also had a quick turnaround as they tackled the 200m freestyle heats after world record-setting wins on Sunday night.

China, Australia spar

China and Australia wrangled over doping accusations Monday as Russia’s Yuliya Efimova targeted an Olympic swimming medal to celebrate her latest victory over a drug ban.
But comments by Australia’s new 400 meter freestyle champion Mack Horton against his rival Sun Yang unleashed a wave of Chinese fury.
Thousands of social media users demanded that Horton apologize for calling Sun a “drug cheat.” Sun, a huge hero in China, served a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking a banned stimulant.
The state-run Global Times newspaper called Australia “a country on the fringes of civilization” and a former “offshore prison” for Britain.
The International Olympic Committee sought to calm the tensions, calling for “respect fellow competitors.”
“Clearly we want to encourage freedom of speech,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams.
“But on the other hand of course the Olympics is about respecting others and respecting the right of others to compete,” he added.
“There is a line somewhere there, and each case is different of course, where people should be free to compete in tranquility.”
China’s flag at the Games also caused an outcry. The four small, golden stars on the Chinese emblem are pointing upwards rather than toward the bigger star. Social media again erupted and Rio organizers said the flags would be replaced.

Source: Arab News