New Delhi, Nov 1: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar won his fourth international gold at the senior level, nailing the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) title in emphatic fashion, as India signed-off from the 15th Asian Shooting Championship in Changwon, Korea, with a haul of 51 medals and second place behind China on the medals tally.

Aishwary also won the team silver in the event along with Akhil Sheoran and Swapnil Kusale, as India picked up four more medals on the concluding day including gold in the Trap Mixed Team competition through Prithviraj Tondaiman and Manisha Keer.

It was a high-quality final and men’s 3P competition throughout, as China’s former junior world champion Du Linshu scorched the lanes in the morning to register a stunning 597 in qualification and set a new world record. He shot four series of 100 across the three positions, including a perfect 200 in the first kneeling position in a sensational display. Aishwary, also a former junior world champion, shot 591 to qualify fifth.

In the final, Aishwary was among the leaders from the beginning. He was fourth after the first 15 kneeling shots but at the end of the 15 shots in the prone position, the Indian was just 0.3 behind Du, who had been leading the final till then.

By the time Indonesian Fathur Gustafin and Korean Cheon Min Ho exited after the 40th shot, Aishwary had taken a two-point lead over Tian, with five-single shots in the final standing position remaining.

Aishwary, who had also won a gold at the same range in a world cup stage last year, shot 10.5 for his 41st but scores of 9.2 and 8.8 for his next two meant Tian had taken over the lead. The 22-year-old Hangzhou Asiad silver medallist however, finished with 10.8 and 10.7 to leave Tian 0.8 behind in silver position. Aishwary finished with a score of 463.5. Du finished third, thereby missing out on a Paris Olympics quota to teammate Tian as Kazakhstan bagged the other available quota place.

India then won a total of 19 gold, 19 silver and 13 bronze medals to finish behind China who won 73 medals including 32 gold in the final calculations.

(IANS)

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