Olympics: No Swiss joy in shooting, judo and track cycling

Not all Swiss competitors were celebrating on the first day of the Olympics. In shooting, judo and track cycling there were a number of early disappointments.

In the women’s air rifle competition, Gaby Bühlmann finished her qualifying round with a total of 390 points, just four points off the score needed for a place in the final. After taking silver in the European Championships, her eventual 28th place at Sydney was clearly a disappointment.

“I can’t understand why I didn’t react properly,” she said after her performance. Bühlmann added that she must have still been asleep not to realise how close she had been to reaching the final.

Bühlmann’s fellow Swiss markswoman Oriana Scheuss also failed to progress. Scheuss, who finished in 36th place with a score of 388 felt that she had suffered from tension.

“I was very nervous at the start,” she explained, “and never got into my rhythm.”

American outsider Nancy Johnson took the air rifle gold with her very last shot, ahead of Korea’s Cho-Hyun Kang. Bronze went to Jing Gao of China.

Bühlmann and Scheuss will have a second chance for honours on Wednesday when they attempt to qualify for the finals of the three-position 50 metres rifle event.

In Judo, David Moret made an early exit from the Games. After receiving a first-round bye, the 21-year old Genevan suffered a quick defeat in round two.

Moret was beaten in just 52 seconds by the European champion, Elchin Ismayilov. The Swiss judoka was so disappointed by his defeat that he forgot to bow to his opponent at the end of the fight and had to be called back by the referee.

In track cycling, Franco Marvulli finished third from last in the qualifying stages for the men’s individual pursuit. But the Zurich rider, who had been tipped to win an Olympic diploma, insisted he wasn’t disappointed after coming 15th.

He said that he had given everything he had, but that it just hadn’t been enough. Asked what he now intended to do, the 22-year-old was at least quick in his reply – “Ride faster in four years time.”

swissinfo with agencies