Yang Qian of China bagged the gold in the women's 10-meter air rifle final to secure the first gold medal of the 2020 Summer Games at the Asaka Shooting Range in Tokyo Saturday.
The Chinese shooter won the women's 10-meter air rifle despite saving her worst shot of the competition for last.
Russia's Anastasiia Galashina and Yang fired almost simultaneously on the last shot, and the limited crowd at Asaka let out gasps as the scores posted a split second later.
Galashina took the silver medal, while Switzerland's Nina Christen won the bronze.
Qian's score of 251.8 set an Olympics record.
Galashina scored 251.1, while Christen registered a 230.6 mark, Sports Illustrated reported.
"It's unbelievable that I can be here," Yang said through a translator. "I was really nervous. The competition was really tight, but I'm so happy I won."
China's #shooting star YANG Qian won the first gold medal at #Tokyo2020
She had an Olympic record score of 251.8
And here's why she collected her own medal #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics — #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 24, 2021
China also plucked its second gold medal, with Hou Zhihui winning the women's weightlifting 49-kilogram final with an Olympic record total of 210 kgs.
Hou also holds the world record that she set in April.
On Saturday, Hou set the Olympic record in the snatch round with 94 kgs. and in the clean and jerk she set an Olympic record with 116 kgs.
Indian lifter Chanu Saikhom Mirabai took the silver medal -- the country's first Olympic silver in weightlifting.
Indonesia won the bronze as Windy Cantika Aisah lifted a total of 194 kgs.
The United States' Jourdan Delacruz was third after the snatch portion but failed on all three or her lifts in the clean and jerk.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed last summer because of the pandemic.
Tokyo residents have voiced opposition to the Olympics moving forward as planned in the weeks approaching Friday's opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, five out of six U.S. athletes competing in Tokyo have been immunized against Covid-19, the team's top doctor said Friday just before the Games officially started.
