Leuris Pupo of Cuba wins Olympic shooting gold medal in mens 25m rapid fire pistol. Shooter Leuris Pupo of Cuba won the first major championship of his career Friday by earning the gold medal in 25-m rapid fire pistol at the London Olympics.

Pupo, whose only previous victory came at a World Cup event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1998, scored 34 shots in the final to beat silver medalist Vijay Kumar of India by four shots. Ding Feng of China won bronze with 27 points. Alexei Klimov of Russia set a world record in qualification but was eliminated in the final after six of the eight series under the new competition format for 25-meter rapid fire pistol. He had showed great consistency in hitting all five targets three times in the eight-round, time-constrained final in which shooters were eliminated as the competition went on.

Having started poorly by hitting three in the opening round, Pupo regained his composure and, after his run of fives, finished with four scores of four to claim victory. The many Indian supporters at the Royal Artillery Barracks were rewarded for their support when 26-year-old Kumar claimed a surprise silver. The army serviceman threw both hands in the air and pumped his fists as he was welcomed on to the podium to collect India's second shooting medal of the Games.

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