Calm Zhang makes parents proud

She takes after her father with her rational personality'

For the family of pistol shooter Zhang Mengxue, Sunday night was filled with emotion.

Zhang's father, Zhang Jiesheng, couldn't stop smiling while her mother, Liu Zhenhua, struggled to hold back tears as they watched from their home in Shandong province as their daughter struck Olympic gold in Rio.

"She has been through so much. She has watched as her peers quit and she has shouldered great pressure and experienced hard training," said Liu, 54.

"We don't have any sporting genes in our family, but she takes after her father with her rational personality."

Zhang Jiesheng, 53, is a man of few words who used to take his daughter to daily training sessions. On Sunday, he was glued to the family television with a quiet intensity.

Zhang Mengxue was born in 1991 in Jinan, the capital of Shandong. Her marksmanship skills were first spotted on the rifle range at Jinan Sports School in 2004.

Six months after she first picked up a firearm, she was transferred to air pistol shooting under coach Wang Hongli.

"She looked calm and steady when she competed with her peers, a rare personality trait in teenagers," said Wang, who watched the final at Zhang's home on Sunday night.

"Her steady personality helps. Being calm, you can show your best in competition."

Liu said that from an early age her daughter chose to develop her shooting skills rather than focus on academic pursuits.

"We respected her decision," Liu said.

In 2006, Zhang was selected to train with the Shandong provincial team and three years later she advanced to the national youth team.

In 2014, after winning a number of competitions, she became a full member of the national team.

Last year she secured a silver medal at a World Cup event in South Korea.

One of the first things Zhang did after winning gold at the Games was to call home.

"I am so proud of her," Liu said on Monday.

"She sounded very calm. She has been working hard for this competition all year.

"The last time we were together was during Spring Festival."

Zhang set an Olympic record by scoring 199.4 points on Sunday.

Vitalina Batsarashkina of Russia took the silver medal with 197.1 points while Anna Korakaki of Greece won bronze with 177.7 points.

Contact the writers at zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn