American Wins First Gold Medal
S Y D N E Y, Australia, Sept. 15 -- American Nancy Johnson won the firstgold medal of the 2000 Sydney Olympics by winning the women’s10-meter air rifle title.
“Unbelievable. I knew I had a medal but I didn’t know it wasgoing to be gold,” said Johnson, of Downers Grove, Ill. Johnson, 26, finished with a score of 497.7 to edge KangCho-Hyun of Korea, who had 497.5 points, in the eight-woman finalround. China’s Gao Jing scored 497.2 to finish third Saturdaymorning (Friday night EDT).
Johnson entered the final round in a four-way tie for secondwith 395 points and got some advice before shooting again.
“I got off the line,” she said. “I talked to my husband andcoach, they told me what I was doing wrong. I was swaying.”
Johnson won a silver medal at last year’s Pan American Games.
Johnson, the 1999 national champion, also competed in air rifleat the 1996 Games. In World Cup competition earlier this year, shefinished sixth at Atlanta and fourth in Milan, Italy. Her husband,Ken Johnson, is scheduled to compete in the men’s air rifle.
Fellow American Jayme Dickman finished sixth with 495.4 points.Dickman, an alternate on the 1996 Olympic team, was thought to be acontender for a medal.
World champion Sonja Pfeilschifter of Germany finished fifthwith 495.9.
“She went out with a very grim look on her face,” Johnson saidof Pfeilschifter. “And I went out with a smile, determined to domy best.”
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