Indian markswoman Samra sets world record to take gold at Hangzhou Asiad

HANGZHOU, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian sharpshooter Sift Kaur Samra broke the world record to win the women's 50m rifle three positions with 469.6 points at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Wednesday.

It was the fourth world record broken in the shooting range in Hangzhou, with the previous three on Monday.

The former world record was 467.0 points, set by British Seonaid McIntosh four months ago at the ISSF World Cup.

Placed second in the qualification, Samra had a good start in the final, finishing the kneeling phase with 154.6 points, 0.1 higher than local star Zhang Qiongyue. In the prone stage, Samra began to hit straight inner tens, collecting 157.9 to total 312.5 points. The 22-year-old shooter continued her good performance in the standing phase, breaking the world record en route to her victory.

Zhang finished second with 462.3 points. Samra's teammate Ashi Chouksey took the bronze.

"It feels very good," said Samra about her win. "It's a very limited and very precious opportunity and I feel very blessed to be part of it."

China won the team event of the women's 50 rifle 3 positions with 1,773 points, one point short of the current world record.

In the women's 25m pistol, Liu Rui of China took home the gold with 38 hits. Indian shooter Esha Singh had the silver with 34 hits. South Korea's Yang Ji-in edged home shooter Feng Sixuan through shoot-off to take the bronze.

The women's 25m pistol team gold went to India with 1,759 points, while China and South Korea won silver and bronze respectively.

In the shotgun range, Kazakhstan claimed the women's skeet team gold. China finished second and Thailand ranked third.

Teenage shooter Jiang Yiting of China snatched the individual gold in the women's skeet with 57 hits out of 60 targets. Her compatriot Gao Jinmei bagged the silver with 55 hits, while the bronze went to Kazakhstan's Assem Orynbay.

China won the gold of men's skeet team event, with Qatar and India finishing second and third respectively.

In the men's skeet individual event, Abdullah Alrashidi of Kuwait won the gold with a prefect 60 hits out of 60 targets. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka of India and Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiya won silver and bronze respectively.