Major press outlets and news agencies around the world have run articles showing their surprise and admiration for Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who secured Vietnam’s first gold medal at the Olympics arena on August 8 (Vietnamese time).

Shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh

In an article summing up the first day of Olympic competition, Reuters said Vinh “became Vietnam's first ever Olympic gold medallist with a score of 202.5 in the men's 10m air pistol. That was enough to see off second place Felipe Almeida Wu of Brazil and bronze medallist Wei Pang of China.”

With a page-long article titled “Modest Vinh makes history for Vietnam,” the UK’s Daily Mail praised the Vietnamese shooter who “may have just ended Vietnam's six-decade wait for a first Olympic gold medal but he wasn't about to make a song and dance about his historic feat.”

The US’s NBC has also run an article titled “Hoang Xuan Vinh outlasts Felipe Wu for 10m pistol gold medal.”

Euro Sports commented that Vinh “ won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 10-metre air pistol event, holding off the heavy crowd favourite Felipe Wu of host country Brazil.”

Meanwhile, BBC said “ Vietnam claimed their first ever Olympic gold as Vinh Xuan Hoang won the men's 10m air pistol title. Hoang scored 202.5 points to edge out home favourite Felipe Wu who recorded 202.1 points to clinch silver and Brazil's first medal of the Games.”

Other news agencies and press outlets like the UK’s Telegraph, China’s Xinhua News Agency and the US’s CNN also highlighted Vinh’s victory.

“Vietnam has been competing in the Olympic Games for 64 years. Now the nation has its first gold medal thanks to Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won the men’s 10 meter air pistol. Like Vietnam, he had his own long struggle to win a medal,” according to the US-based SB Nation.

VNA