China's Yang Qian Wins First Gold Medal of 2020 Olympics

Qiang set a new Olympics record with a 251.8 final score to take home the first gold medal of the Tokyo Games.

A year later than scheduled, we finally have our first gold medal of the Tokyo Games. Yang Qian of China took gold in the women's 10m air rifle final to secure the first gold medal of the 2020 Summer Games at the Asaka Shooting Range on Saturday.

Here's how it looks, for those not streaming. Masks on, athletes handed a medal on a tray, then they put it on themselves. pic.twitter.com/kEOPRJYKYO

— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) July 24, 2021

Anastasiia Galashina of Russia won silver, while Nina Christen of Switzerland won the bronze medal. Qian's score of 251.8 set an Olympics record. Galashina scored 251.1, while Christen registered a 230.6 mark.

Mary Carolynn Tucker scored a 166.0 and finished sixth, making her the highest-ranking American in the event.

The air rifle is one of three shooting events at the Olympics, along with pistol and shotgun. Rifle and pistol involves competitors shooting at a stationary target, while shotgun requires them to fire at moving targets. There are two rifle distances: 10 meters and 50 meters, with the latter requiring shooters to fire from three different positions: standing, kneeling and lying prone.

At the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, American Virginia Thrasher won gold, while Chinese competitors Du Li and Yi Siling took silver and bronze, respectively.