Chiara Leone wins women's 50-meter rifle 3 positions shooting for 1st Swiss gold at Paris Olympics

Chiara Leone wins women’s 50-meter rifle 3 positions shooting for 1st Swiss gold at Paris Olympics

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Switzerland’s Chiara Leone, right, reacts after winning the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Switzerland’s Chiara Leone celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Switzerland’s Chiara Leone, center, is congratulated after she won the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Switzerland’s Chiara Leone reacts after winning the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Gold medalist Switzerland’s Chiara Leone, center, and the silver medalist Sagen Maddalena of the United States, left, and the bronze medalist China’s Zhang Qiongyue pose for a photograph after the medal ceremony of the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Sagen Maddalena of the United States celebrates with her silver medal after the medal ceremony of the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Sagen Maddalena of the United States, center, competes in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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Sagen Maddalena of the United States, second right, competes in the 50m rifle 3 positions women’s final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Chateauroux, France. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

CHATEAUROUX, France (AP) — Chiara Leone has earned Switzerland’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics, winning women’s 50-meter rifle three positions shooting on Friday.

Leone narrowly edged Sagen Maddalena of the United States by 1.4 points in the final. China’s Zhang Qiongyue was third for bronze in the event that involves shooting while kneeling, prone and standing.

“I knew I could win,” Leone said. “I wanted a medal. I wanted a piece of the Eiffel Tower in my hands, and winning is just — I can’t describe how I feel.”

Maddalena’s silver is the first U.S. shooting medal on the seventh day of competition, ending what was tied with 1988 for the country’s longest drought in the sport at a single Olympics.

“I made a couple of mistakes,” said Maddalena, who set a qualifying round Olympic record on Thursday. “We are all amazing shooters, but it is the pressure in finals that makes it hard to get the mind right. I’m going to take this, learn from it, keep working on my head space and enjoy the ride.”

Leone, 26, shot a 464.4 to break the Olympic record of 463.9 set by fellow Swiss shooter Nina Christen at the Tokyo Games three years ago. She said she was also inspired by countrywoman Audrey Gogniat winning bronze in women’s 10-meter air rifle earlier in the week.

Now they can celebrate together.

“We will have a big party,” Leone said. “I don’t know when or where, but we will celebrate.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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