thu vinh 12.jpg
Thu Vinh started strong but her performance slipped later.

On July 28, all eyes were on Trinh Thu Vinh as she competed in the women's 10m air pistol final. The 2000-born shooter ranked fourth in the qualifiers, raising hopes for a medal as she faced seven competitors in the final round.

In the finals, the eight shooters fired three rounds, each with five shots, to determine seventh and eighth positions. The fourth round decided the fifth and sixth positions, and the fifth round determined the fourth place and bronze medalist. The last two shooters competed for the gold medal.

In the first five shots, Trinh Thu Vinh performed steadily, securing the fourth position with scores of 10.0, 9.2, 9.9, 9.8, and 10.4 points.

With scores of 9.5, 10.7, 9.9, 10.6, and 9.4 in the second round, Thu Vinh climbed to third place. However, starting from the third round, she showed signs of nerves with some undesired scores.

In the fifth round, Korean shooters Oh Ye Jin and Kim Ye Ji continued to lead, putting pressure on Thu Vinh and Bhaker Manu from India. Despite her best efforts, Thu Vinh, representing the People's Police unit, finished with 198.6 points, falling short of the top three and ending her competition.

Although she missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the world in her first Olympic appearance is commendable for the 24-year-old shooter. It's worth noting that before winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh also finished fourth at the 2012 Olympics.

At the Paris Olympics, Thu Vinh still has one more event - the women's 25m air pistol, with qualifiers scheduled for August 2. While not her forte, her current performance still raises hopes for a surprise.

Defeated by strong competitors

ket qua thu vinh.jpg
Vietnamese shooter finishes fourth.

"Congratulations to Thu Vinh for finishing fourth at the Olympics. With what she has shown, we can be proud of her," shared former head coach Nguyen Thi Nhung.

There is a sense of regret for Thu Vinh, who started strong in the initial rounds. However, psychological pressure seemed to affect her focus, preventing her from achieving the best scores.

It should also be acknowledged that Thu Vinh faced exceptionally strong competitors. Despite achieving her career-best result, Trinh Thu Vinh needs to perform even better to compete for an Olympic medal.

In the last six shots, Thu Vinh's highest score was 9.9, with no shots over 10 points. In contrast, Manu Bhaker, the competitor immediately above Thu Vinh, had seven shots scoring over 10 points and eventually won the bronze medal.

The gold medalist was 19-year-old Oh Ye Jin of South Korea, who also broke the Olympic record. Previously, in the qualifiers, the Korean shooter ranked second.

In the final round of the gold medal shootout, Oh Ye Jin's impressive 10.6-point shot left her teammate Kim Ye Ji sighing in acceptance of the silver medal.

Clearly, besides improving skills and fortifying mental resilience, the increasingly strong competition poses a significant challenge to Vietnam's dream of winning shooting medals and excelling in other sports at the Olympics.

Dai Nam