Swapnil Kusale won India’s third medal of Paris 2024. (AP Photo)
The 35-year-old Yuehong, along with compatriots Liu Yukun and Jiang Ranxin, spoke about the Chinese contingent’s preparations and the importance of the upcoming tournament.
Three-time Olympic medallist shooter Li Yuehong believes the ISSF Shooting World Cup Final beginning here Tuesday will provide the Chinese contingent a great opportunity to learn from the Indian rivals, who have made significant strides in recent years.
The veteran shooter Yuehong won bronze medals at the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Games before clinching the men’s 25m rapid pistol gold in Paris Olympics this year.
“The Indian shooting team has achieved fast development in recent years. The Chinese shooting team would like to take this great opportunity to learn, communicate and exchange ideas with them,” Yuehong said during a virtual media round table.
The prestigious tournament begins on October 15 at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range here.
The 35-year-old Yuehong, along with compatriots Liu Yukun and Jiang Ranxin, spoke about the Chinese contingent’s preparations and the importance of the upcoming tournament.
“The Chinese team has been preparing for the last two weeks. We have placed great importance on the World Cup Final and we believe it is a high-level international competition in this Olympic cycle and a great starting point for the LA 2028 Olympics.
“Many Olympic champion shooters will be competing and it will be a good opportunity to compete with excellent shooters from around the world,” Yuehong said.
Meanwhile, Yukun, who won gold medal in Paris in men’s 50m Rifle three-position and stood alongside bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale on the podium, praised the Indian shooters and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
“I have competed many years against Indian shooters and they have achieved significant progress. They are really strong competitors. I am glad to see the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has posed high technical requirements for the Indian shooters and they are demonstrating strong sportsman spirit.
“It is interesting to be on the same playing field with them,” the 27-year-old said.
Asked about his interactions with Kusale, Yukun said, “I respect every athlete who made the final at the Olympics. Everyone who reaches the finals is a hero. I am very glad to share the podium with an Indian shooter. As far our interactions go, we always cheered and encourage each other.”
In the Paris Olympics, Chinese shooters won 10 medals, including 5 gold.
Asked about China’s success in the Olympics, Ranxin, who won a gold and a bronze medal in Tokyo Games, said, “There is no secret to maintaining steady results in sports. From our end, we just try not to focus on our final results.
“We instead focus on ourselves and try to bring the best in ourselves. We let the momentum guide us and let the results happen on their own,” she said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
