Zhang Shan, the woman who outshot the men, was by far one of the best women shooters in China.
Zhang was born in the city of Nanchong in Southwest China's Sichuan Province in March 1968. She began to practice skeet shooting at the age of 16 and entered the national team in 1989.
Just in that year, she swept the women's skeet individual and team title in the World Skeet Championships before she won the National Shooting Championships. The following year, she collected the skeet title in the World Shooting Championships.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Zhang Shan represented China in the skeet-shooting event, which included both men and women. Zhang caused a sensation by finishing first and becoming the first woman to win a mixed sexes shooting event.
She may also be the last as the International Shooting Union barred women from shooting against men after the Barcelona Games. Women were not allowed to compete in skeet shooting at the 1996 Olympics, so Zhang was unable to defend her title. A separate women's skeet event was added to the program for the Sydney Games of 2000. Zhang entered and placed eighth.
Due to her great contributions to the country, she was voted into the Fifty Best Athletes in the New China in 1999.
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