Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Men

China’s Liu Yukun competes with the word “Lucky” sewn on one leg of his shooting uniform. The exuberant 27-year-old Olympic débutant had been catapulted into the favorite role by his performance at the World Cup event in the Azeri capital of Baku, where he broke the world record twice on consecutive days, and wanted to prove that luck was irreverent by his score in the French capital.

Liu qualified for the final with the highest score of the 44 contestants, but trailed Norwegian Jon-Hermann Hegg before the standing section. Suddenly, the momentum shifted, as Hegg’s standing shots scored poorly and he found himself in fifth place and eliminated from medal contention.

Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine inherited the lead with just three shots left to take, but he likewise began to shoot below his usual level and Liu returned to the gold medal position. Kulish needed to score 1.8 points higher than his Chinese opponent to return to the lead but could only score 9.4, as the Chinese shooting team claimed another title in Paris.

The silver medal went to Kulish, while Swapnil Kusale claimed India’s third medal of the Games so far. Liu was given the honor of being awarded the ISSF male shooter of the year award for 2024.