The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Beijing

Czech shooter Katerina Emmons overcame jittery nerves and a splitting headache to win the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics with a new Games record here on Saturday.

Emmons, 24, won the women's 10m Air Rifle competition ahead of silver- medallist Lioubov Galkina of Russia and third-placed Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia.

China's Du Li, the Athens Olympics gold medallist, finished fifth, disappointing millions at home who expected her to produce the 'aoyun shoujin'-first Olympic gold.

Li fled the hall in tears, refusing to speak to the large Chinese media contingent in the mixed zone.

She later told reporters: "I was satisfied by scoring 399 in the qualification round but I was not fully prepared for the pressure of shooting in the final at home."

The Chinese girl met the same fate as compatriot Zhao Yinghui, who was the favourite to win the first gold medal at Athens, but also failed to finish on the podium.

Emmons received her gold medal from International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, who was among the sell-out crowd of 5,000 at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.

Emmons, 24, who took the bronze in Athens, finished with 503.5 points to break Li's Olympic record of 502 points four years ago.

Emmons never looked back after setting a world record total of 400 in the qualification rounds before adding 103.5 points in the eight-woman final.

As soon as the event finished, Emmons ran into the arms of her American husband Matthew Emmons, himself a top shooter who won the Olympic gold in the 50m Rifle Prone event at Athens.

"Thank God it's over because I was so nervous," said the champion, who came second behind Li in the 2006 world championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

"I had a headache this morning. I felt so terrible that I did not know how I would shoot. So to win the first gold medal of this Olympics is pretty amazing.

"I felt very nervous after the qualification round, the heart was beating fast. But I just told myself to concentrate on the final round.

"I cannot be more satisfied than this. I have achieved the very best there is in sport. It's everything I could get," said Emmons.

She was also watched from the stands by her father Petr Kurka, himself a two-time world champion shooter.

Galkina, 35, the silver medallist at Athens who returned to competitive shooting this year after the birth of a son last November, finished just a point behind the champion.

China's hopes of a good start in their bid to win a majority of gold medals in the 15-event shooting competition now rest on men's 10m Air Pistol world champion Peng Wei, who will be in action later on Saturday.