Attractive Beijing Olympics 2008 opening ceremony photo gallery

Olympics: First hitch for China as medal eludes golden girl

Sport has many qualities but none ranks higher than its refusal to bend to the desires of those in charge, and if the organisers of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were not aware of that fact then they are now.

After a stunning opening ceremony, what better way to begin the party than for China to win the first gold, which might explain why, when the competition schedule was drawn up, the women's 10m air rifle was nominated to be the first event of the Games.

The sport - a quiet, compelling test of nerve and skill - has been dominated in recent years by Du Li, a 26-year-old student from Shandong who won gold at the 2004 Games in Athens and has collected world championships and world cup victories with startling regularity ever since.

She arrived at the shooting hall this morning as favourite and was garlanded on to the stage by the home crowd, with the event itself seemingly nothing but a staging post on her way to the medal podium.

Two hours later Du had been vanquished by Katrina Emmons of the Czech Republic, who took gold with an Olympic record score of 503.5, with Lioubov Galina of Russia second and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia third.

Du finished in fifth place with a score of 499.6 - an enormous deficit in a sport where decimal fractions are like tombstones for those who let them slip away. No wonder the Chinese woman was visibly upset as she took the last three of her 10 shots in the final, by which time it was clear her favouritism had turned to dust, and that she would not be taking her designated place as the first winner of the 2008 Games.

"I did well enough in qualifying, but I wasn't fully prepared for the pressure of competing at home," Du admitted afterwards, something that the winner acknowledged afterwards to reporters.

"I feel really bad for Du Li, I do - and I'd like to give these flowers to her because she can shoot way better than she did today," Emmons said, holding the flowers she was given at the medal ceremony led by IOC president Jacque Rogge.

Olympics 2008: Shooting Beijing, shooting, women's 10m air pistol Russian and Georgian medalists embrace on podium

A Russian and a Georgian shared a podium today, putting aside the conflict that has erupted between the two countries and providing a lift to a Georgian team that had contemplated withdrawing from the Games.

Nino Salukvadze took bronze for Georgia in the women's 10m air pistol, with Russia's Natalia Paderina collecting silver. After the medal ceremony the two posed together for photographers, their arms on each others' shoulders, and Paderina gave Salukvadze a kiss on the cheek.

"This medal is good for Georgia, especially during times like this," Salukvadze said. "I am very nervous today. It's very difficult for my people." The Georgian government has decided to keep its 35-member team at the Olympics, and Salukvadze expressed the hope that the Games' ideals of peace would provide an example to those watching.

"If the world were to draw any lessons from what I did there would never be any wars," she said. "We live in the 21st century, after all. We shouldn't really stoop so low to wage wars against each other."

"It's very difficult for us as Georgians because of everything that's going on at home. It was nice that Natalia Paderina came up to me after and gave me a handshake," Salukvadze added. "Yesterday I thought the Georgian Olympic team might withdraw."

"As far as the hugging and kissing goes, I do that with many friends. I have many friends around the world and will always do that. There should be no hatred among athletes and people," she said. "Politicians should straighten out the situation today and if they don't, we'll have to get involved."

A team spokesman said the Georgian athletes were ready to leave the Olympics if it would help, but the International Olympic Council announced on Sunday morning that both the Georgia and Russia teams had decided to remain in Beijing.