The women's 10m air rifle event will produce the first gold medal at the Athens Olympics on Saturday, with 44 markswomen from 31 teams vying for the eye-catching honor.

World record holder Du Li and Zhao Yinghui are to head the Chinese challenge in the opening shooting event that starts at 9:00 local time and ends 11:40.

Zhao, who had been tipped a title favorite for the women's 10-meter air rifle before the Sydney Games but failed to make it to the final, is determined not to repeat the disappointment in Athens.

"I was putting too much pressure on myself in Sydney," said Zhao in hindsight.

"I hadn't had enough experience. This time I should do pretty well," added the 23-year-old.

Yet China is not expected to have any easy sailing as Russian Tatiana Goldobina, who won the women's 10m air rifle at a World Cup race in April in the Markopoulo shooting center, should have apsychological edge over her rivals.

Germany's Sonja Pfeilschifter, South Korean Seo Sun Hwa and world and European champion Katerina Kurkova of the Czech Republicare also rated as favorites for the title.

"There is no room for the slightest of errors. The competition is really wide open," said Xu Haifeng, head coach of the Chinese shooting team.

For the men's 10m air pistol, which also takes place on Saturday, it will be a duel between Sydney gold medallist Franck Dumoulin of France and European champion Mikhail Nestruev of Russia. The two shooters won two World Cup races apiece this year.

Six-time Chinese Olympian Wang Yifu, who won the gold at the Barcelona Games in 1992, should also have a realistic shot.

Wang, who had been plagued for years by hypoglycemia, an ailment which causes dizziness and lack of concentration, said he is in good shape and hopes to add another Olympic medal to his belt.

"Health should not be a concern," said the 44-year-old veteran during a break between Wednesday's training sessions.

"I'll go all out in the competition," he added.