Nancy Johnson of the United States wins the first gold medal of the 2000 Games

Nancy Johnson of the United States wins the first gold medal of the 2000 Games, taking home the top prize in the 10-meter air rifle. The 26-year-old from Downers Grove, Ill. finishes with a score of 497.7, barely beating Kang Cho-hyun of Korea, who end with 497.5 points in the eight-woman final round. France's Franck Dumoulin takes gold in the men's 10-meter air pistol. Nearly 10 years ago, Johnson sustained nerve damage that affected her arms and nearly ruined her hopes. But Johnson, who also competed in the 1996 Atlanta Games, has been symptom free for two years. When an archery range wasn't available, Johnson's father, Ben Napolski, took his 15-year-old daughter to the local junior rifle club. He was in attendance to see her win the gold medal. IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch was originally scheduled to present the medals, but he left Sydney early in the day for his home in Barcelona, Spain, to be with his sick wife. Olegario Vazquez Rana, the chief of the International Shooting Sport Federation, handed out the medals instead. Johnson won a silver medal at last year's Pan American Games. She decided to skip Friday night's opening ceremony to get a good night's sleep. Johnson, the 1999 national champion, also competed in air rifle at the 1996 Games. In World Cup competition earlier this year, she finished sixth at Atlanta and fourth in Milan, Italy. A second U.S. shooter, Jayme Dickman, finished sixth Saturday with 495.4 points. Dickman, an alternate on the 1996 team, was thought to be a contender for a medal. World champion Sonja Pfeilschifter of Germany finished fifth with 495.9.