The men’s 10 metres air rifle at the Rio Olympic Games will be conducted on the third day of shooting and it features two Indians who will be looking to bag medals for the country. The event for the women has already been completed earlier. Gagan Narang and Abhinav Bindra are the two aces who will be competing for India and a lot of hopes lie with the pair after a rather disappointing performance from the rest of the contingent so far.
Also Read: Rio Olympics 2016: All you need to know about the 10m air rifle event
Here is everything you need to know about the event:
Live Telecast
Channel: Star Sports Network
Live Stream: www.starsports.com and Hotstar app
Date and Time: Friday, 8 August 2016 – 12:00 GMT (17:30 IST)
Venue: National Shooting Centre, Deodoro, Rio De Janeiro.
Indians participating:
Abhinav Bindra: Abhinav Bindra showed India what the shooters could bring to the nation by winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has made it evident that this will be his last Olympic appearance. Therefore, we all know what to expect from the experienced rifle shooter. He has trained well for this event and all Indians will be expecting big things from the maestro.
Gagan Narang: The 33-year-old rifle shooter will be participating in three events at the Games. This event is the first of the three. However, the important thing for the shooter will be to maintain his peak according to the events. The fans will have huge expectations from Narang, and given his past record, he will have a point to prove when he takes to the shooting range later today.
Also Read: Rio Olympics 2016: Analysing Gagan Narang's chances of a medal at Rio
Shooters to watch out for:
Haoran Yang (China): Haoran Yang is the most promising shooter from China at the moment. He is ranked number two in the world in the 10m air rifle event. His consistency over the last three years has meant he has won a total of 7 gold medals and 3 silver medals in the same category. The 20-year old shooter had a good time at the Youth Olympic Games 2014 where he won the gold medal. Therefore, his first appearance at the Games should see him doing well.
Filip Nepejchal (Czech Republic): Nepejchal is the youngest shooter at the Games in Rio at just 17 years of age. The young Czech has had a great beginning in the international circuit and has won the gold medal at the 2016 ISSF World Cup held in Baku. The 10m air rifle event will be the most competitive with young and experienced shooters in line to have a shot at the podium.
Qinan Zhu (China): Zhu has been a great performer at the Olympic Games, winning a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the same category. His chances of a podium finish look bleak because of the competition he faces. His record coming into the games has been consistent though, and the shooter might corner glory at the Games.
