American Shooter From Va. Wins First Gold In Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)--American shooter Ginny Thrasher has won the first gold medal of the Rio Olympics in the women's 10-meter air rifle.
Thrasher shot 10.5 on her first shot of the final elimination round and smiled after 10.4 on her second shot put her comfortably ahead of China's Li Du. Thrasher had a cumulative score of 208.0 to beat Du, a two-time gold medalist, by a point. China's Siling Yu earned the bronze.
RELATED: 2016 Olympics In Rio: Scores, Medals and More
The 19-year Thrasher became the first freshman to win both individual NCAA rifle titles and helped West Virginia win the team title. She followed that by winning the U.S. Olympic Trials less than a month later, earning a trip to Rio.
American Sarah Scherer made the finals in her return to the Olympics after two back surgeries, but was eliminated in the first round. She finished eighth.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.