Romania’s Moldoveanu wins 10m air rifle gold medal

Romania’s Alin George Moldoveanu shoots during qualifiers for the men’s 10-meter air rifle event at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

LONDON — Alin George Moldoveanu of Romania won the Olympic gold medal in 10-meter air rifle Monday after equaling the Olympic qualifying record.

The victory made up for missing a Beijing Games medal in the same event by 2 millimeters.

Moldoveanu and top-ranked Niccolo Campriani of Italy shot 599 in qualifying to equal the Olympic record, set by Zhu Qinan in 2004. Zhu, who went on to win the 2004 gold and 2008 silver, qualified 10th, missing the eight-man final by a point.

In the final, Moldoveanu was a little more consistent, scoring 103.1 to Campriani’s 102.5.

Moldoveanu totaled 702.1 and Campriani 701.5.

Campriani slipped off the lead with shots in the 9-ring in the eighth and ninth rounds.

Gagan Narang of India, who runs a shooting academy in Hyderabad called Gun for Glory, won the bronze with a 701.1 total.

His compatriot, 2008 Beijing champion Abhinav Bindra, finished qualifying in 16th place, two shots out of the final.