Paris gold medallist Liu Yukun of China talks about India's development in shooting

Liu Yukun also shared why he believes Asian counties must be like ‘one united family’.

Gold medallist in 50m rifle 3 positions at Paris Olympics, Liu Yukun reflected on his interaction with India’s Swapnil Kusale during the Paris Olympics 2024. Both athletes shared the podium in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event, where Yukun claimed gold and Kusale earned the bronze medal.

Yukun, along with fellow Chinese shooters Li Yuehong and Jiang Ranxin, spoke with Indian media just before the ISSF World Cup Final 2024. By the end of the tournament, China reaffirmed their global dominance, topping the medal table with five golds and three bronze medals.

During the discussion, the Chinese shooters also touched on several important topics, including their thoughts on the rise of Indian shooters, how they manage pressure situations, and the growing competition from other Asian countries.

Liu Yukun’s interaction with India’s Swapnil Kusale at Paris Olympics

Khel Now got the opportunity to ask Yukun about his interaction with Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale at the Paris Olympics 2024. On their interaction, he said: “We cheered and encouraged each other.”

The 27-year-old also talked about his phenomenal 2024 season, which saw him break the world record twice in two days at the ISSF Baku World Cup. In the first competition, he shattered the world record by scoring 467.3 points.

Two days later, he again smashed his own world record after achieving 468.9 points. Following a gold-medal triumph in Paris, he missed out on a medal, finishing fourth, at the finals held in New Delhi, India.

On his record-breaking season, he added: “I just tried to focus on myself, tried to do my best, and didn’t focus too much on the final results.”

Also Read: Five interesting facts about Paris Olympics 2024 medallist Swapnil Kusale

View of Indian shooters as competitors and their progress over the years

Li Yuehong, the three-time Olympic medalist including a gold in the 25m rapid fire pistol in Paris, has observed that shooters from India have achieved faster progress. He said: “The Indian shooting team has achieved fast development in shooting history.”

He further stated: “The shooters from India are really strong competitors. I am glad to see that the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) posed high technical requirements for their shooters.”

Being mentally strong under pressure situations

Chinese athletes are known for their composure during international competitions. During the Zoom interaction, they were asked how they kept themselves calm while competing.

Following this, the two-time Olympic medalist, Jiang Ranxin, opened up on the Chinese shooters’ strategy used during competitions. She stated: “Actually, there is no secret to how to maintain being mentally strong during competitions. We just try to not focus too much on the final results but focus on ourselves. Try to bring the best out of ourselves.”

Also Read: NRAI launches first-ever Shooting League of India; inaugural edition likely in 2025

Rising competition and the challenges from other Asian nations

Chinese shooters, including Yuehong, believed that the Asian countries are making greater strides and progressing at a whole scale especially in rifle and pistol events.

Reflecting on his first Olympic gold, having previously won two bronze in 2016 and 2020 at the Summer Games, he said: “I think such progress suggests that Asia has devoted a lot of efforts in the shooting sports, we have made such ardious efforts to do the training. I have to say what we have achieved depends on the efforts from the whole team.”

However, the veteran shooter believed that the Asian countries must ‘behave like a united family’. “We should get together, work together and make strong efforts to achieve more glory for Asia in the future,” he also mentioned.

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