Wang notches a second shooting gold for China

Wang Yifu wins men's 10m air pistol gold medal

China picked up its second Olympic gold in shooting as Wang Yifu won the men's 10m air pistol event at the Athens Games on Saturday.

Inspired by compatriot Du Li's triumph in the women's 10m air rifle event, Wang edged out Russian Mikhail Nestruev in a dramatic final and finished with a total of 690 points, a new Olympic record.

Nestruev, the current world number one in the event, took silver with 689.8 points, followed by fellow countryman Vladimir Isakov on 684.3 points.

Wang, who trailed Nestruev by one point entering the 10-shot final, managed to level the score at 90.1 points before the very last shot. The 44-year-old veteran then scored 9.9 points against his Russian rival's 9.7 points, landing the gold medal which has eluded him over the past two Olympics.

"I'm extremely excited at the victory. It's no easy task," said Wang, who shed tears after receiving the gold medal on the podium.

Wang, who twice finished second in men's 10 air pistol in Atlanta and Sydney, showed no signs of joy after firing the last shot.

"I didn't realize my victory until the crowds erupted in loud cheers," he explained.

Wang, a six-time Olympian and the oldest athlete in the Chinese sports delegation for the Games, first won the men's 10m air pistol in Barcelona Olymics in 1992.

Tan Zongliang, China's another shooter in this event, and defending champion Franck Dumoulin of France failed to reach the eight-man final.