Chinese table tennis player Zhang Yining wins the gold for the women's table tennis single after defeating Kim Hyang Mi of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 22, 2004. (Xinhua Photo/Wang Jianhua)

Chinese table tennis player Zhang Yining wins the gold for the women's table tennis single after defeating Kim Hyang Mi of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 22, 2004. (Xinhua Photo/Wang Jianhua)

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By Sportswriters Cao Jianjie and Xue Jianying

    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 when its shooter Matthew Emmons misfired the last shot to give the men's 50m rifle 3 positions gold to Chinese Jia Zhanbo.

    With these two titles, China is now head to head with the United States at the top of the gold tally, each with 20 golds.

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

    Playing an aggressive and wide-angled topspin game, Zhang subdued Kim Kyung Ah in four straight sets (11-8, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2)in just 25 minutes, winning China's 16th table tennis title since Pingpong's Olympic debut in 1988.

    It was the second gold for Zhang, who had 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.

    The 22-year-old from Beijing knew she would win even before thefinal began.

    "When I shook hands with my rival before the start, I felt her hand was ice cold. So I think she must be extremely nervous and I feel more sure about the match," Zhang said.

    After narrowly clincling the first two sets, Zhang never lookedback and gave the DPR Korean only four points in the last two sets.

    Virtually unknown Jia Zhanbo turned out the luckiest guy in this Olympics.

    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 something rarely seen in shooting ranges 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.

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

    U.S. coach David Johnson 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