16-year-old Ban Hyo-jin wins air rifle gold in shoot-off

It was Korea's fourth shooting medal at the Paris Olympics — and third gold.

Korea's Ban Hyo-jin practices before the women's 10-meter air rifle at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, France on Monday. [NEWS1]

Sixteen-year-old sport shooter Ban Hyo-jin won Korea’s fourth shooting medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics Monday, edging out China's Huang Yuting in the women’s 10-meter air rifle for gold after an intense tiebreaking shoot-off.

Ban was leading heading into what could have been the last two shots with a 1.3-point advantage, with 232.2 points over Huang's 231.0.

But the Korean had two marks under 10 — 9.9 and 9.6 — her worst round of the second stage, while China's Huang, 17, notched 10.3 and 10.5, just enough for a tie.

Both had scored 251.8 points, tying the previous Olympic record set in Tokyo by China's Yang Qian.

It all came down to one final bullet, with gold going to the winner of the tiebreaking shoot-off. Ban grabbed the victory by the narrowest margin, scoring 10.4 points with her final shot, while Huang scored 10.3.

Ban wiped away tears as she stood between her two fellow medalists, seconds after securing Korea's third gold medal of the Paris Games.

Korea's Ban Hyo-jin wipes away tears after winning the gold medal after a shoot-off. [YONHAP]

Ban, a first-time Olympian, is the youngest member of Korea’s multigenerational shooting squad but already has a record at the Games.

She smashed the previous women’s 10-meter air rifle qualification record a day before the finals with a score of 634.5 points — beating Jeanette Hegg Duestad’s 632.9 points from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — to enter the final round in the top spot.

Duestad, who placed second in the qualifiers, took eighth place Monday, the first to be cut from the finals.

Ban was second with 104.8 after the first 10 shots, behind China’s Huang Yuting and above Switzerland’s Audrey Gogniat. Gogniat took bronze.

Korea's Ban Hyo-jin, center, celebrates after winning the women's 10-meter air rifle final at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, France on Monday. [YONHAP]

Ban also competed in the mixed 10-meter air rifle event alongside Cho Dae-han, but the two failed to make the finals, finishing the qualification round in 22nd place.

Korea has seen an early run of success at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, France, with its sport shooters leading the delegation's medal count.

Korea’s Park Ha-jun and Keum Ji-hyeon took silver in the mixed event Saturday, the nation’s first medal at the Paris Games, losing to China.

And Korea's Oh Ye-jin and Kim Ye-ji swept the women's 10-meter air pistol podium Sunday, taking gold and silver, respectively.

Korea has four medals in shooting at this year’s Olympics as of press time Monday.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]