The Subang Shooting Range witnessed the rise and fall of an Olympic champion on Saturday (26 Aug) and it was Malaysian Jonathan Wong who fired the deepest hole into Vietnamese Hoang Xuan Vinh’s gold medal hopes.
Wong produced one of the biggest upsets in the Games when he upstaged Rio Olympic champion Xuan Vinh to win the men’s 10m air pistol gold.
The 25-year-old Malaysian posted a 238.30 total while Xuan Vinh took silver with a 234.10 score. Myanmar’s Kyaw Swar Win bagged the bronze with a 214.80 total.
Xuan Vinh, 41, ended Vietnam’s six-decade wait for a first Olympic gold medal with a near-perfect final shot in the men’s 10m air pistol.
“It is a fantastic feeling to beat an Olympic champion for the title. This to for all Malaysians and also my family, and not forgetting my grandfather, who turned up for the first time here,” Wong said.
“This will give me the motivation to attain greater things. My aim is to make an impact in next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and at the Asian Games in Indonesia.”
Wong attributed his success to South Korean coaches Park Sang Soon and Park Cheol Wan.
“I have improved tremendously since they were here late last year. They have been focussing a lot on mental strength in training.”
