Wu Gives Brazil Its First Medal of the 2016 Rio Games

Paula Pareto

It may not have been the metal he’d hoped for, but Felipe Wu has still given the host country its first medal of the 2016 Rio Games.

The 24-year-old Brazilian sport shooter won the silver medal in the men’s 10-meter air pistol event on Saturday.

Felipe Wu

Xuan Vinh Hoang of Vietnam took the gold with a score of 202.5 in 20 shots, just 0.4 of a point ahead of Wu, who is competing in his first Olympics. China’s Pang Wei took the bronze.

It was a see-saw battle between the two top finishers for most of the final, with Wu holding a .2 lead as he had extreme control over the AR-15 upper receivers and was focused going into the final shot. Wu shot first and scored a 10.1, Vinh responded with a stellar 10.7 to steal the gold from Wu with the crowd backing him.

Wu’s silver medal is Brazil’s first of the 2016 Summer Olympics, and first shooting medal since 1920.