Liu Jinyao (center) and Zhang Yifan (left) from North China's Shanxi province take photos on the winners' platform after the men's 10m air pistol final at the 2022 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo, Egypt on Oct 15. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Two young Chinese athletes from North China's Shanxi province, Liu Jinyao and Zhang Yifan, took the top two spots in the men's 10m air pistol final at the 2022 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo, Egypt on Oct 15.

Liu's gold marked the seventh gold medal earned by Chinese shooters in the championship. He won the third quota for the Chinese team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 

"It's Shanxi's first championship and best result in the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol," said Wu Yongsheng, director of the Shanxi Shooting, Archery and Water Sports Center. There were six athletes and two coaches from Shanxi attending the 2022 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol.

Shooting has traditionally been a strength of Shanxi. Liu, born in 1998, and Zhang, born in 2000, are outstanding athletes trained by Shanxi's shooting team.