(URGENT) Choo Ga-eun captures Asian Games gold in pistol shooting

NAGOYA, Japan — Choo Ga-eun clinched the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the ongoing Asian Games on Wednesday, securing South Korea's first gold of the competition. Choo shattered the previous Asian record of 245.3 points, previously set by Yukari Konishi of Japan in December 2017, with a score of 246.3 points. This victory marked Choo's first Asian Games gold medal during her debut at Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota.

Chen Yijao of China placed second with 241.3 points, while her countrywoman Jiang Ranxin claimed the bronze with 221.6 points. Choo's score also marked an Asian Games competition record, surpassing the previous mark of 242.1 points achieved by Palak Gulia in 2023. Prior to the final, Choo shattered the Asian Games competition record in the qualification round, scoring 582 points.

This performance helped South Korea claim the silver medal in the team event, which is determined by the combined scores of three shooters for each country. Despite her exceptional performance, Choo fell short of breaking the world record by 0.7 points in the final.