Not many shooters can actually achieve their dreams of competing at the Olympic Games and represent their nation at the biggest event of them all. But China’s aces Pang Wei and Du Li have done it four different times. The Rio Olympics would be the fourth Games that the duo have been able to compete in but the interesting thing about the London Olympics and the Rio Olympics for both of the shooters is that they have gone to these two Games as an actual couple.
The two met multiple times during their respective shooting assignments at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) events where both the men and the women events take place during the same time – there is a difference in slots for each event like in the Olympics. The Chinese pairing got together well and finally tied the knot on 29th November 2009 at a private ceremony in Baoding, Hebei in their homeland of China.
This was the start of a new beginning for the couple. Since 2009, both the shooters have participated in various international events. But getting to know each other has helped the pair in more ways than one. They have helped each other in bettering their respective shooting techniques as well as their performances at the big events. Du Li did suffer a dip in form after their marriage but she has recovered well in the past few years. The pistol shooter managed to win a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup in Munich in 2012. She also won the bronze medal at the same event held in Bangkok in the same year.
Just like Li, Pang Wei was also not able to achieve much in the years coinciding with their marriage. After a dry run of two years, the shooter managed to come back with a bronze medal victory at the ISSF World Cup held in Sydney in 2011. That was a much-needed boost for the shooter going into the London 2012 Games. But at the actual Games, the couple went on to disappoint their fans as neither of the two managed a podium finish in their respective shooting events.
It was a tough phase for the Chinese couple where they seemed to struggle to get their results together at the big stage. But the couple kept their determination intact and provided motivation to each other whenever either of them went through a decline. This led to both the shooters doing well at ISSF events post 2014 – especially Pang Wei as he won five different medals in 2014. However, Du Li was facing a tough time in clearing the qualification stages on almost all the occasions.
Whilst the couple faced problems inside the shooting range, they were enjoying their private lives outside it. But focussing their energies on the next big tournament, the couple decided to target the Rio Olympic Games – both the shooters qualified in their respective events – (Pang Wei in the men’s 10m air pistol & 50m pistol events) and (Du Li in the women’s 10m air rifle & 50m 3 positions events). At the Games, however, the couple had to face tough opponents in their first events but came through to win medals – thereby creating history.
China’s Du Li had created history when she set a new Olympic Record in the women’s 10m air rifle qualification event by firing an outstanding 420.7 points in the qualification round and managed to win the silver medal at the National Shooting Range in Rio. Whereas, her partner Pang Wei had won the bronze medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the Rio Olympic Games. This means that the couple have put all the tough times behind themselves and are now ready to excel in the two remaining events as well. They have now won medals at two different Olympic events and are the first couple in history to win medals at the Games as a married couple.
