(3rd LD) (Asiad) S. Korea wins gold in women's 25-meter pistol team event

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By Oh Seok-min

INCHEON, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean female team won gold in the 25-meter pistol event at the Asian Games, edging out its rival China by one point.

The team of Kim Jang-mi, Lee Jung-eun and Kwak Jung-hye claimed the first podium finish with 1,748 points, defeating China that took 1,747 points. India scored 1,729 for bronze.

It is South Korea's first team gold in the women's shooting at the Asiad under way in the country's western city of Incheon and the second pistol medal of the day. Hours earlier, their colleagues grabbed bronze in the 10-meter air rifle.

At the 2010 Asiad, South Korea won bronze in the women's 25-meter pistol team event.

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

Monday's victory brought the number of gold medals for the host country in shooting to three, with the previous two clinched the previous day in the men's 10-meter air pistol team and individual events.

With Kim Jang-mi, the reigning Olympic champ in the distance, leading the Korean team with 584 points, the shooting powerhouse placed all three shooters in the individual final.

The shooters said their teamwork was the key to their victory.

"We've been together for less than six months, but I think we are the best in terms of team spirit among any other teams of any group sports," Kim told reporters. "Kwak and Lee care for me as if I were their real sister."

Lee also credited her teammates with helping her along the way.

"I've expected that we were going to win the gold medal," she said. "I was able to overcome difficulties over the course of difficult training to get prepared for this Asiad thanks to the help of my teammates."

"Despite our age differences, we are just like friends," Lee added. Kim is 22 years old, five years younger than Lee and six years younger than Kwak.

Yet none of the three could bring home another medal. In the final, the 28-year-old Kwak advanced into the bronze medal match after making it to the top four out of the eight finalists. After a tight race, however, she lost to Otryad Gundegmaa of Mongolia 7-3.

Zhang Jingjing of China grabbed gold in the distance, edging out her compatriot Chen Ying in the gold medal match.

Of the eight shooters competing in the individual final, the four lowest-ranked shooters after the first 25 shots were eliminated. Then the top two shooters vied for gold while the third-ranked and the fourth-ranked shooters went toe-to-toe to decide who will take the bronze.

In each of the medal rounds after elimination, the shooters engaged in a different format of competition to determine the medalists. They each took five shots in a series, and the shooter who scored at least 10.2 more often than the opponent earned two points in a series, with the other shooter getting zero. In case of a tie, each shooter took one point. The one who reached seven points first was declared the winner.

Kim, the heavy favorite after claiming gold in the distance at the 2012 London Olympics, finished a disappointing fifth and Lee sixth. During the 10ｍ air pistol competition on the Asiad opening day on Saturday, Kim topped the list of the eight finalists but failed to reach the podium.

"I think we ruined the individual final after being too excited about winning the team gold," she said.

"I have no regrets at all. It would be better if I could've earned a medal in the final, but I am happy that all three of us have one gold medal each," she added with a big smile.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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