(LEAD) (Asiad) Choo Ga-eun captures gold in women's 10m air pistol shooting

NAGOYA, Japan, September 23 (Yonhap) -- In a historic moment for South Korea, Choo Ga-eun clinched the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the Asian Games, marking her nation's first gold of the competition. She achieved a new Asian record score of 246.3 points, showcasing her prowess on the shooting gallery in Toyota, a mere 25 kilometers east of Nagoya.

Choo's victory came after an impressive qualification round where she scored 582 points, setting an Asian Games competition record. In the final, she dominated the competition with a substantial lead over her rivals, with Shen Yijao of China in second place and Jiang Ranxin of China securing the bronze. The previous Asian record stood at 245.3 points, set by Yukari Konishi of Japan in December 2017, while Choo's score also topped the previous Asian Games competition record of 242.1 points set by Palak Gulia in 2023.

Despite her nearly perfect performance, Choo narrowly missed breaking the world record by just 0.7 points. The final showcased eight shooters competing in two series of five shots each, with a perfect score of 10.9, followed by single shots with a 50-second limit per shot. Choo's remarkable achievement made her the first South Korean to win this event since 2010.