Zhang Cuiping sets new world record

"When I fired the last shot and it flashed up on the screen as a record, I didn't want to put the gun down. I just wanted to enjoy the moment."

China’s Zhang Cuiping set a world record and won the first gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, while Korea’s Park Seakyun won a shoot-off to win shooting’s first men’s event.

Zhang won the first gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, breaking a world record in the women’s R2-10m air rifle standing SH1 shooting competition.

Zhang won with a world record score of 500.9, while Manuela Schmermund of Germany won the silver medal and Australia’s Natalie Smith won a bronze medal.

After setting a Paralympic record of 396 in the qualification round, Zhang started the final in ominous fashion, scoring a 10.7 and a 10.6 (out of a possible 10.9) with her first two shots.

Zhang didn’t shoot less than a 10.0 throughout the final and said winning the first gold medal of the Paralympic Games was very special for her and China.

"The people of our country are very happy and the leader of our team came to see, as I was the first champion of the Games,” she said.

"When I fired the last shot and it flashed up on the screen as a record, I didn't want to put the gun down. I just wanted to enjoy the moment."

Germany’s Schmermund came from a ranking of seventh after qualification and shot with precision for most of the final to win the silver medal, but said the result was never easy for her.

"I am a nervous wreck but very happy as I didn't expect any medal after I had been ranked seventh this morning,” Schmermund said.

"I didn't look at the results. It was only when my coach gave the thumbs up that I realised I was doing well and I knew I was shooting consistently."

Australia’s Smith scored an important 10.5 with her final shot to move into third place and win a bronze medal, saying it was a very difficult final.

"I cannot believe it,” she said.

“At one stage there were only two points between the second to eighth positions so it was very tough. I keep looking at my medal to see if it's going to disappear."

In the men’s P1 10m air pistol SH1 final, Korea’s Park Seakyun beat Turkey’s Korhan Yamac in a shoot-off to win the gold medal.

Park lead for much of the final after starting well to jump from third after qualifying to first position. But many of the placings continued to change right throughout the final, with no shooter taking control of proceedings.

After nine of the 10 shots, Park lead Yamac by 0.5 points and shot 9.8 with his final effort. Yamac, the last to shoot, recorded a score of 10.3 to tie the competition and send it to a one-shot decider.

In the shoot-off, Park won the gold medal with a score of 10.8, with Yamac winning silver shooting a score of 9.9.

Although Park said he thought it had all come a little sooner.

"At the final I didn't think we would do a shoot-off,” he said.

“I thought I shot well and had already won so I took off my hat and glasses. I then saw the screens and was surprised to see we were level."

Park said that he always believed in his ability and was calm in the shoot-off.

"I have trained and worked hard for four years. I hoped for and expected a good result,” he said.

"I waited to take my shot to help with my pace and rhythm so that's why I took a long time."

Lee Juhee won the bronze medal for Korea and said training is the key to Korea’s success.

"We are not a strong country but we practise a lot and try our best," he said.

“We train for four hours a day, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. We use one hundred bullets per session."