Jul 24, 2021 - Sports

China wins 1st gold of Tokyo Olympics

Axios

Silver medalist Anastasiia Galashina of Russia, gold medalist Yang Qian of China and bronze medalist Nina Christen of Switzerland celebrate on the podium after the 10m Air Rifle Women's Final — Silver medalist Anastasiia Galashina of Russia, gold medalist Yang Qian of China and bronze medalist Nina Christen of Switzerland celebrate on the podium after the 10m air rifle women's final. Photo:

China's Yang Qian won the first gold of the Tokyo Olympics, narrowly beating Anastasiia Galashina of the Russian Olympic Committee in the women's 10-meter air rifle final.

Why it matters: The first medal ceremony of the Games took on extra meaning after a year-long delay and other hurdles brought on by the pandemic. Athletes are required to hang medals around their own necks in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The big picture: Nina Christen of Switzerland won the bronze in the 10m rifle competition.

China picked up its second gold later on Saturday when Hou Zhihui won the women’s 49-kilogram weightlifting category.
Several other teams captured golds on Saturday, including: Ecuador in the men's road race; Kosovo in the women's 48-kilogram judo competition; South Korea in archery’s mixed team event; Iran in the men’s 10m air pistol competition; and Japan in the men’s 60-kilogram event.

Go deeper: The Olympic events to watch today

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China wins 1st gold of Tokyo Olympics

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