Du Li of China competes during the women's 50m rifle 3 pos. final at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug 14, 2008. Du claimed the title in this event. [Xinhua]

Chinese shooter Du Li staged a comeback after a failure on Saturday to smash the Olympic record in the women's 50-meter rifle three positions at the Beijing Shooting Range on Thursday.

Her total score, 690.3 points or 1.9 points higher than the previous one held by Russian shooter Lioubov Galkina, ensured her a hard-won Olympic gold medal in her own country.

Katerina Emmons from the Czech Republic nailed down the silver with 687.7 points after a hot pursuit. Cuban shooter Eglis Yaima Cruz won the bronze with a slim disadvantage of 0.1 point.

Du, 26 years' old from the eastern Shandong province, advanced to the final with an Olympic record-equalling 589 points, one point higher than Cruz, while Emmons was ranked sixth with 586 points.

Competition in the final was so fierce that each shot changed position of the shooters.