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Xtra Time Web Desk: Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat, demolished a finals field which included reigning Olympic Champion Anna Korakaki of Greece, to strike gold in the Women’s 25M Pistol, giving India her first yellow metal of the on going International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in the Croatian city of Osijek. India now has one gold, one-silver and two bronze medals from the competition so far.

Rahi was so good on the day that she missed the finals world record score of 40 by one hit. If she was run closer in the final, chances are she would have broken it. The Indian ace shot 39 hits out of a possible 50, including four perfect series of 5/5 hits in a row, to leave silver medal winning Frenchwoman Mathilde Lamollle way behind on 31 hits. In the Women’s Sport Pistol as it is called, a score of 10.2 or above is considered a hit.

In her words, “After I got assurance about the gold, it was more about technicalities for me in the last few series as I wanted to try out a few things so I was doing that. It was not so much about the medal for me in this competition because I was trying out a few things which I am going to do in the Olympic Games and this is the final competition before that. This competition was absolutely not about performance or medal. It was more about trying out things and finalising every thing before the Olympics for the last time and that was just that.”

On winning gold Rahi said, “ This gives me the assurance that I am on the right track and I have to keep working on this up to and after the Olympic Games as well.”