Vietnam has been competing in the Olympic Games for 64 years. Now the nation has its first gold medal thanks to Hoàng Xuan Vinh, who won the men’s 10 meter air pistol on Saturday. Like Vietnam, he had his own long struggle to win a medal.
Vietnam wins its first ever Olympic gold medal with 10m air pistol victory
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The 41-year-old last competed in 2012 in a London Olympics that ended in heartbreak. Hoàng failed to make the finals by a single point and finished 9th in the 10 meter air pistol. This was followed by a crushing fourth place finish in the 50 meter air pistol that saw bronze escape him by just 0.1 points.
Hoàng’s fortunes changed in Rio. He was locked in tight duel with Felipe Almeida Wu. The pair traded shots that were near-indistinguishable when they struck the target, but Hoàng ultimately held off his nearest competitor by just 0.4 points.
Hoàng’s total overall score of 202.5 set a new Olympic record due to a new scoring system being adopted following the 2012 London Olympics.
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