China wins the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics in mixed team air rifle shooting
Paris (AP/PTI): China wins the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics in mixed team air rifle shooting.
Also, China won its first gold medal in diving on Saturday on the first full day of competition in the Paris Olympics, a perfect start for the team of Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen.
China has ruled diving for decades, and three years ago in Tokyo, it won seven of eight gold medals. But, it's never pulled off the elusive gold sweep. That's the goal this time.
The Chinese were first on Saturday in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard with 337.68 points on five dives.
They were followed by Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook of the United States with 314.64 points and the British team of Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen with bronze and 302.28 points.
The same Chinese duo also won gold in the last three world championships and were heavy favourites going in.
The crowd, heavy with Chinese fans and flags, chanted “jiayou” — roughly translated “let's go” — each time the Chinese walked out to dive.
This event was added in 2000, and Chinese women have won gold six times in seven Games. The only loss was to Russia in 2000. China won three years ago in Tokyo with Shi Tingmao and Wang Han.
Starting with the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where China claimed its first diving gold, it had won 47 of 64 gold medals in diving. Add to that 23 silver and 10 bronze.
If you start counting from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China won 27 of 32 gold at the Olympics.
These are the numbers before Paris. Now, add another gold to the total and watch the numbers climb as the Olympics roll on in Paris
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Rajasthan: Police asks farmer pay Rs 9.91 lakh for security after suicide threat
Jaipur, Dec 23: A farmer in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district has been asked to pay Rs 9.91 lakh for security arrangements made by police to prevent him from committing suicide after he had threatened to take the extreme step over non-payment of land compensation.
Vidhyadhar Yadav said he was distressed after his house was demolished for acquiring land for a cement plant in Gothada village in Nawalgarh in November without giving him compensation and that he never asked for the deployment of police force, for which he is being charged.
Yadav has now been given compensation of around Rs 3.8 crore.
But on December 17, Superintendent of Police Jhunjhunu served a notice which says that 99 police personnel -- one Additional Superintendent of Police, two Deputy Superintendent of Police, two inspectors, three sub-inspectors, six assistant sub-inspectors, 18 head constables and 67 constables -- were deployed and government vehicles were used for his security, which put burden on the exchequer.
It further said that the expenditure of Rs 9,91,577 incurred on his personal security has to be recovered from him.
"The notice has been served for recovery because the police force was deployed for security," SP Jhunjhunu Sharad Chowdhary said.
Yadav said when he was not given a proper response by the district administration and the management of the cement company regarding the compensation, he gave a memorandum to the district collector addressed to the president on December 9 to end his life, and gave an ultimatum till 11 am on December 11.
The farmer said that he had no option but to demand euthanasia because all his land was acquired and the house was demolished without giving him compensation.
"I had been frequently requesting the SDM and company officials to release the compensation amount but there was no proper response therefore I gave a memorandum to the district collector addressed to the President for euthanasia and gave an ultimatum till 11 December," he said.
To prevent him from taking any such step, policemen were deployed in the village on December 11. Yadav poured petrol on himself when the police foiled his immolation bid.
"I did not demand security. The district administration and police made the arrangements and now the SP has given me a recovery notice," Yadav said.
