Chateauroux, Jul 27, 2024, IANS

Chateauroux, July 27 (IANS) Kazakhstan claimed the first medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics with a dominant performance in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, defeating Germany 17-5 in the bronze-medal match on Saturday. Kazakh shooters Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev set the tone early in the match, taking the first round with a score of 21.4 to Germany's 20.7, establishing a 2-0 lead. Despite a spirited effort from Germany's Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich, who managed to level the score at 3-3 and 4-4, the Kazakh pair never relinquished their grip on the match. Le and Satpayev's consistency proved too much for the Germans. After the brief tie, Kazakhstan surged ahead, winning the next three rounds to secure a 10-4 lead. Although Germany managed to tie one more round, it was merely a temporary reprieve as the Kazakhs continued their commanding performance, ultimately sealing a comfortable victory. Kazakhstan's journey to the bronze medal was marked by a strong showing in the qualification rounds, where they finished third, just ahead of Germany in fourth place. With Kazakhstan securing the bronze, the focus now shifts to the gold medal match between China and the Republic of Korea, the top two qualifiers in the event.