YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS. The student of Yerevan’s Children and Youth Republican Sports School of Shooting Hrachik Babayan took the silver medal at Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games. As reports “Armenpress”, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Armenia stated about this.

YANG Haoran (CHN) claimed gold in the men’s 10m air rifle with an astounding score of 209.3 at the Fangshan Shooting Hall on Wednesday.

Hrachik BABAYAN (ARM) with 204.3, 5 points behind the leader, claimed silver and Istvan PENI (HUN), with 183.5 points, took bronze.

YANG, reigning world champion and ISSF's World-number-one male air rifle shooter, was the obvious contender for the first place. He left his competitors no chance, with just a single shot which did not score 10 points or more.

“I performed the way I normally do,” said YANG. “I expected to win but I did not know it would be so smooth. My trick to keep calm is to take a long breath and shift the focus away from the immediate results."

Eighteen-year old BABAYAN who admits that “shooting is his life” kept a steady hand as well as steady head throughout the competition.

“I was very nervous but I tried not to show it and focus on my shooting,” said BABAYAN. “YANG is very strong but I would like to overtake him one day. I would like to take part in the Olympic Games in Rio and win a gold medal,” continued BABAYAN.

The competition was tough. Vadim SKOROVAROV (UZB), winner of the 2014 Asian Shooting Competition, was in the second place until the final shots but his nerves got the better of him and two out-of-ten hits in the elimination stage left him in fourth position.

Hungarian PENI who had a rough start managed to bridge the gap in the end and make it to the podium.

“It was hard. By I did my best and I made it. I am satisfied,” said the bronze medalist.