World top-ranked Zhang Yining claimed China's 100th gold medal in summer Olympic Games as she overcame a fast-hitting DPR Korean in the women's table tennis singles final Sunday afternoon.(Xinhua Photo)

   ATHENS, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- World top-ranked Zhang Yining claimed China's 100th gold medal in summer Olympic Games as she overcame a fast-hitting DPR Korean in the women's table tennis singles final here Sunday afternoon.

   The historic 100-gold mark was reached after the United States gave a timely helping hand as its shooter Matthew Emmons misfired the last shot to give the men's 50m rifle 3 positions gold to Chinese Jia Zhanbo.

   Jia's gold was China's 99th since the world's most populous nation ended its Olympic gold drought in 1984.

   Zhang played an aggressive topspin game to subdue Kim Kyung Ah in four straight sets (11-8, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2) to win China's 16th table tennis title since the sport's Olympic debut in 1988.

   It was the second gold for Zhang, who has long been living under the shadow of the 2000 Olympic dual gold medalist Wang Nan.

   Zhang had combined with Wang to win the women's doubles on Saturday.

   Virtually unknown Jia Zhanbo became  one of the luckiest guys in the Olympic history.

   With a shaky start in the final that cost him a two-point lead won in the qualification, the Chinese trailed American Emmons by three points going into the last shot.

   Then the most unexpected thing happened.

   Emmons scored a "no-hit" in his last shot and fell to eighth while the Chinese posted a 10.1 points for a winning total of 1,264.5.    

  "Emmons' shot hit other shooter's target," Vassilis Delios, chief range officer, told Xinhua.

   David Johnson, coach of the US shooting team, acknowledged the referee's ruling.

   "It rarely happened in international competition," said Johnson.

   American Michael Anti took silver on 1,263.1, while Christian Planer of Austria won bronze 1,262.8.  Enditem