By Asoka Goonetilleke in Sydney
Sri Lanka’s first bet at the Sydney Olympics Mali Wickremasinghe was reduced to zero at the womens air rifle event worked out yesterday at Sydney Shooting Range.

Firing from position number 22 Wickremasinghe could only score 382 points and was placed 47th out of 49 competitors. This incidentally is the lowest in her nearly a decade long career and 8 points below her Sydney Olympic Games qualifying mark.

India’s Vedpathai Anjali, Nepal’s Bhagawathi Kathri and Sabrina Sultana were place 7th, 43rd and 46th respectively.

Nancy Johnson of the United States won the gold (497.7) by a 0.2 difference from Cho Hyung Kang of Korea (497.5). Jing Gao of China took the bronze.

At the press conference held after the keenly contested final 26 year old Nancy Johnson said that she could not believe what she had achieved. "I knew I had a medal, but I did not know it was going to be gold. That was my goal and I achieved my goal.

Sri Lanka’S Sole competitor Mali Wickremasinghe’s 382 is exactly the same she scored in her first Olympic in Atlanta, 1996. Commenting on her poor performances, she said she was trying to prove a point to those who matter and finally got messed up. "I’am disheartened that I could not do any better. This happened to me because I was always thinking of what the authorities back home did to me since January this year. Therefore I tried to prove a point to them and now I realise the mistake.

According to her this failure is obvious, since rifle shooting is more a mind game. "At the beginning they said I was out of the team and made me a wreck. I worked so hard during the last four years, and at a certain point. I got sick of everything. Their decision threw me out of foreign competition too, where all Olympic aspirants participated.

She firmly believes her case was not properly presented to the minister. "Who can win medals at Olympics with four months training. She now plans to get married and lay off for some time, but was quick to add that she would try again to make the next Olympic Games in Greece.

Her Coach, Daya Rajasinghe is in dejected mood as well, said he too was fed up but came to Sydney because of the two shooters. "I could not really patch up Wickremasinghe’s mind, as I too am in a crest fallen mood. I did my best to uplift the game for nearly a decade, with no pay, no rest and no support. The game is seriously going down. For this I blame none but the president of the national rifle association who’s president cut my name and included his to make the trip to Sydney, and the National Selection Committee who know nothing about rifle shooting.

Rajasinghe’s second student, Ruwani Abeymanne is listed in today’s air pistol event. "She has nothing to prove", said Rajasinghe, being asked to comment about the air pistol event.