China has high hopes to get first gold on offer at Beijing Games
Submitted by Marina Dimova on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 09:00.
Du Li must defy the pressure of more than a billion people when she aims to give Olympic host China the first gold medal of the Beijing Games on Saturday.
Du is competing in the air rifle event and may find some strength looking back at the 2004 Games where she also bagged the first gold on offer in Athens.
"This is a great privilege for me, I love it," Du said earlier in April at a World Cup event in the Chinese capital.
"Of course I am under great pressure, but I am really enjoying it because only a few athletes can have the opportunity to win the first gold medal.
"I know there will be millions watching my shooting on television, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance," Du said.
Success for Du would give a massive boost to the 600-plus home team which is expected to fight the US over the 16 Olympic days for first place in the final medal table.
James Connolly did not have the same pressure but the American entered the Olympic record books as the first gold medallist in the modern era when he dominated the triple jump 1896 in Athens.
The first woman to get gold was Charlotte Cooper of Britain who won the tennis tournament 1900 in Paris.
More important for China, Du aims to follow in the footsteps of living legend Xu Haifeng, who won the first gold medal of the 1984 Los Angeles Games which also marked China's first ever at the Olympics.
"That gold medal is a milestone of China's Olympic development. It is part of history," the China Daily quoted Xu as saying
Nowadays it is the air rifle event to finish first on the opening day of competition, and several athletes are ready to pounce if Du fails to deliver, led by world record holder Sonja Pfeilschifter.
"I know it I can make it. Let the others come, things are going well. Everything is coming together," said the confident German.
But Pfeilschifter failed to deliver in Sydney 2000 and Athens, finishing outside the medals in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic is also a major contender and has already won on the Olympic shooting range, at the World Cup event in April where Du had to settle for third.
Emmons said that all favourites had prepared well and that the gold will be decided on the mental side.
"It is important to keep your head cool," Emmons said.
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