In a thrilling start to the Paris Olympics 2024, China and Kazakhstan emerged victorious in the shooting events, securing the first medals of the prestigious sporting event.

China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao proved their dominance in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team competition, clinching the gold medal with a hard-fought victory over South Korea's Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun. With a final score of 16-12, the Chinese duo showcased their exceptional shooting skills, securing China's 68th medal in shooting and their 27th gold medal in the sport. While this marked Huang's first medal in shooting, Sheng added to his Olympic accolades, after winning a silver medal in the same event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The Chinese pair's success in Paris was a continuation of their impressive performance in the World Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, where they secured the gold medal. Their consistent excellence in the sport has unquestionably established them as one of the top contenders in shooting events.

For South Korea's Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun, this Olympic appearance marked their first podium finish. Earlier this year, Keum had shown her shooting prowess by winning a gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle at the World Cup.

In another gripping match, Kazakhstan's Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev took home the bronze medal in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event. They defeated Germany's Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich with an impressive score of 17-5. This achievement was particularly significant for the Kazakh team, as it marked their first medals of the Paris Olympics. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, they had won a total of eight bronze medals, establishing themselves as formidable competitors.

Kazakhstan's team had initially entered the bronze medal match with only three medals in the sport. However, their triumph added two more bronze medals to their tally. Sergey Belyayev had previously won two silver medals in the men's 50-meter rifle prone and the men's 50-meter prone meter rifle three positions during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Vladimir Vokhmyanin had also contributed to Kazakhstan's success by winning the gold medal in the men's 25-meter rapid fire pistol event.

The shooting events continued to captivate the audience as China's Yang Qian and Yang Haoran clinched the gold medal in the mixed team air rifle competition, triumphing over the United States' Mary Tucker and Lucas Kozeniesky. Meanwhile, the Russian Olympic Committee's Yulia Karimova and Sergey Kamenskiy secured the bronze medal by defeating South Korea's Kwon Eun-ji and Nam Tae-yun.

As the first medals were beautifully bestowed upon the deserving champions, the Paris Olympics 2024 embarked on a journey filled with exhilarating sportsmanship, setting the stage for the awe-inspiring battles that lie ahead.