Chinese win two Olympic shooting golds

ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Du Li and Wang Yifu gave China the opening two gold medals of the Olympics Saturday with victories on the shooting range.

Du captured the women's air rifle competition, after which Wang grabbed the men's air pistol event. It was Wang's sixth Olympic medal.

Du was second at the world championships two years ago and set an Olympic record Saturday with 502 points. She edged Lioubov Galkina of Russia by a half point. Galkina finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics and was last year's World Cup champ.

The bronze went to Katerina Kurkova of the Czech Republic with 501.1 points.

Wang, 43, made his first Olympic appearance 20 years ago. He won the air pistol gold in 1992 and he also set an Olympic record Saturday with 690 points.

He has also won three silvers and a bronze during his Olympic career.

Russians finished second and third in the men's event. Mikhail Nestruev won the silver and Vladimir Isakov the bronze.