Men's double trap gold medallist Almed Almaktoum of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates picked up its first gold medal at the Athens Olympics on Tuesday through its marksman Ahmed Almaktoum's victory in the men's double trap event.

Almaktoum was a class apart from the rest of the competitors and led the qualification with 144 out of a possible 150 hits. He also shot consistently in the final and secured the gold medal with still five targets to shoot. His total score of 189 tied the Olympic record.

"I dedicated the gold medal to my country," said the 41-year-old Almaktoum after winning the gold medal.

"I really enjoyed the final without any pressure," he added.

India's Rajyavardhan S. Rathore finished fifth in the qualification round with 135, but shot well in the final to grab the silver medal with 179.

Chinese shooter Wang Zheng, competing in his first Olympics, had the bronze with 178.

Defending Olympic champion Richard Faulds failed to reach the final after a woeful display in qualifying round.

Men's double trap gold medallist Almed Almaktoum of the United Arab Emirates

Faulds missed nine shots in his opening round and was unable to recover, posting a final score of 130 from 150 to finish way down the field.

Results of mens's double trap

Following are the results of the men's double trap shooting event at the Athens Olympic Games on August 17:

1. Ahmed Almaktoum, United Arab Emirates, 189 hits

2. S. Rathore Rajyavardhan, India, 179

3. Wang Zheng, China, 178

4. Hu Binyuan, China, 177

5. Hakan Dahlby, Sweden, 177

6. Waldemar Schanz, Germany, 175

Source: Xinhua