Sun Yiwen, a fencer, added another later in the day. This gives China’s Olympic campaign a strong start, as it seeks to challenge the U.S. Olympic Team for the top spot on the medal table.
Yang won the Tokyo Olympics’ first gold medal on Saturday, beating Russian shooter Anastasiia Galashina in women’s 10-meter air rifle contest.
The 21-year old Chinese shooter was unable to make it into the final eight. She buckled once in that final, scoring 8.9 on one shot.
Yang managed to win gold despite the setback with her final shot scoring 9.8, bringing her total Olympic record to 251.8. American Mary Tucker, ranked No. Yang, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, was eliminated from the finals early and finished in sixth place.
Hou won the second Olympic gold after lifting a total weight of 210kg. This was also a new Olympic record.
Mirabai Chanu, an Indian weightlifter, won silver. She lifted a total weight of 202kg, which was her second Olympic weightlifting medal for India since Karnam Malleswari’s bronze at Sydney 2000 Games.
Sun won China’s third gold medal of the day by beating Ana Maria Popescu from Romania in overtime in women’s epee.
WHAT TO WATCH
Team USA will be in action later on Saturday as the women’s soccer team will look to overcome their first-round loss to Sweden in what is effectively a do-or-die game for them against New Zealand. On Saturday, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team will compete in the qualifying round. They include Alec Yoder and Sam Mikulak as well as Shane Wiskus, Yul Moldauer, Shane Wiskus, Shane Wiskus, Shane Wiskus, and Yul Moldauer.
TANGENT
FiveThirtyEight’s projections show that Team USA will end the Olympics with 128 medals. China, which is expected to be second with a medal count of 82, has already outperformed the projections and won two more medals than was anticipated. The country with the most golds won is what determines where the final medal table stands. China was the top medalist in Beijing Olympics 2008, while the United States topped Rio and London summer games that took place after.
