Chinese shooter wins first gold at Tokyo Olympics

By Emrah Oktay

TOKYO (AA) - Chinese shooter Qian Yang officially received the first gold medal of the 2020 Olympics Games on Saturday.

Yang collected 251.8 points in the women's 10 meter air rifle final competition at the Osaka Shooting Range in Tokyo. Her score was as an Olympic record.

Anastasiia Galashina from Russia won silver and Nina Christen from Switzerland won bronze.

The Olympic Games started with the opening ceremony in a near-empty National Stadium in the Japanese capital in the shadow of the coronavirus on Friday.

Athletes from 205 countries and a refugee team marched into the stadium with their flags in front of empty stands due to the virus.

The ceremony began with a firework display, while a moment of silence was held for those who were killed from the disease.

Featured on the field were Olympic Rings made of wood grown from trees that were planted by athletes from participating countries who competed in the 1964 Tokyo Games.

The Olympics were officially opened by Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who said: "I declare open the Games of Tokyo.”

The postponed 2020 Olympics will end Aug. 8.