Cairo: Taiwan has won a silver medal in the mixed 10-meter air rifle event and a bronze medal in the women’s 10-meter air pistol at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Cairo.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chen You-an and Tsai Chieh-ying, both 17, clinched the silver on Friday with a score of 498.3, finishing behind India’s Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan. The Taiwanese duo faced a tough challenge during the four-team finals, initially finding themselves in fourth place, outside of the medal positions. However, they made a remarkable comeback to secure third place at the first elimination point and later surpassed a French duo to reach the final round, where only two teams remained.

Chen expressed his nervousness about the competition’s intensity but maintained his composure by trusting in his abilities. “I am really happy to win my first World Cup medal and prove my ability on the world stage,” said Chen, a student at Nankan Senior High School in Taoyuan. Tsai, wh
o was a last-minute replacement for an older teammate, also shared her nervousness during the finals but managed to keep calm through deep breathing. “I was especially nervous when I had a chance to win [a medal]. I’m very happy I was able to stand on the podium,” she said. Tsai is a student at Guang Fu High School in New Taipei.

On Thursday, 16-year-old Liao Ke-rong won bronze in the women’s 10-meter air pistol final with a score of 218.3. This was Liao’s first medal at a world-level competition, adding to her previous achievement of winning the women’s junior 10-meter air pistol title last year, her first international gold medal. Liao initially led the competition after two rounds in the eight-round elimination finals but faced challenges in the subsequent rounds. She managed to retain her composure and secured a spot in the final three. Liao aims to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Ma Yu-mei, a two-time Asian Games athlete, and represent Taiwan at the Asian Games.