Li Duihong on song for China to take gold

YESTERDAY IN ATLANTA: Shooting

Li Duihong of China, the silver medallist in Barcelona four years ago, won the gold medal yesterday in the Olympic 25-metre women's pistol event.

Diana Yorgova of Bulgaria won the silver, beating the defending Olympic champion Marina Logvinenko of Russia on the final shot.

Li finished with an Olympic-record score of 687.9. Yorgova scored 684.8 and Logvinenko 684.2. Yorgova's final shot of 10.5 was just off the five- centimetre-wide bull's-eye. When Logvinenko finished with a 9.5 shot, Yorgova moved into second place. Li had started the finals with a three- point lead over Nino Salukvadze of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia and her lead was never threatened in the 10-shot finale.

Germany, Slovakia and Kazakhstan were winners on Thursday at Wolf Creek. Germany won two golds and Slovakia its first Olympic medal. Kazakhstan took a silver and a bronze.