Baldivino's surprise gold
Two points.
That was all that separated Filipino shooter Elvie Baldivino from her Singaporean opponent Norizan Mustafa.
That was also just enough to win the 34-year-old a gold medal in the women's precision pistol event at the South-east Asia (SEA) Games yesterday.
Baldivino beat the 33-year-old Singaporean 230-228.
After her victory, Baldivino said she was confident going into the match, but was still surprised by her win.
"I still can't imagine that I am the winner," she said.
"I was aiming, but I did not expect (the gold)."
When asked what went through her mind during the final, the Filipino answered: "Nothing, just play", adding that self-discipline was the key to defeating her rival.
The combined scores of Baldivino and her two other compatriots in the qualifying stage of the event also earned the Philippines a team silver medal.
DISQUALIFIED
After a hot cartridge cost shooter Anuar Abdullah's chance at gold on Sunday, the Singapore shooting team missed out on yet another golden opportunity at the National Shooting Centre yesterday.
The women's team's best shooter Mabel Goh was disqualified during qualifying, accidentally dropping her gun while trying to holster it after the fourth match.
Team captain for the Singaporean shooters Peter Teh rued the team's poor luck.
The 45-year-old said: "If (Mabel) had made it into the final, I believe she had the potential to win the gold medal."
"It was a sad, traumatic experience for her. She was devastated, but we hang on.
"The team spirit is very, very strong."
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