Olympedia – Small-Bore Rifle, Three Positions, 50 metres, Women

The women’s 50 m small-bore rifle three positions event was held for the 10th time at the Olympics making it, along with the 25 m sporting pistol event and the 10 m air rifle event, the most traditional women’s event at the Olympics. Only one returning Olympic medallist was in Tokyo, that being Eglys Yahima de la Cruz, who won bronze in 2008. Furthermore, of the eight finalists from Rio, only Nina Christen and Najmeh Khedmati competed in 2020. In addition Snježana Pejčić, who finished fifth in 2012, was the only other former Olympic finalist in this event to participate. Pejčić also won bronze at the 2018 World Championships behind Yuliya Karimova and Isabella Straub. At the 2021 European Shooting Championships held only about two months before the Tokyo Games, Sofia Ceccarello took gold with Yuliya Zykova in second and Jeanette Hegg Duestad in third place.

The qualification round was won by Zykova with a clear margin of five rings but, as with all shooting events at Tokyo, the final round started from zero. The final commenced with 30 shots in kneeling position and Zykova also took the lead here, followed by Jolyn Beer. The next three series were in the prone position and after these 30 shots Zykova was still in the lead, with Duestad in second. After 10 more shots in standing position, the two lowest placed shooters were eliminated. Zykova was still in the lead, with Christen now second. With the remaining six shooters the contest saw single shots eliminating the last placed competitor each time. Christen caught up with Zykova on the very first single shot and with the second shot Christen took the lead. With only three more shots to go she stayed in first place to win gold. Zykova won silver, and bronze went to Karimova, who won her second bronze medal of the Games. As in the 10 m air rifle event, Duestad again finished an unlucky fourth.

Christen became the first Swiss woman to win a shooting gold medal and it was also the first Swiss shooting gold medal for 73 years, since Emil Grünig won gold in the 300 m free rifle three position event at the 1948 London Games.