'Faulty' pistol ends Jung's gold bid

Melbourne: Indian sharpshooter Samresh Jung's bold bid for a record-equalling six Commonwealth Games gold medals ended with a whimper Saturday after his gun jammed in the 25-metre standard pistol event.

The 35-year-old security officer from Delhi finished the Games with five gold, one silver and bronze medal.

There were reports that Sarmesh's pistol developed a problem and was jammed during the event. Indian team mangaer, Rajiv Bhatia, said it was just bad luck.

"A machine is a machine. It can create problems anytime. It was just bad luck. But Sarmesh is very staisfied with his performance and so am I. We have done so much better than previous Games," Bhatia said.

Earlier in the week, the man dubbed "Goldfinger" by the local media, had been a hot-favourite to break the record of six gold medals held jointly by Australian swimmers Susie O'Neill and Ian Thorpe.

Thorpe, who pulled out of these Games due to illness, won seven medals, including six golds, at Manchester, four years ago. O'Neill took eight medals - six golds in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Jung had been a hot favourite to break the record going into the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event on Friday but an uncharacteristic lapse of concentration saw him take the bronze after a three-way shoot off.

He was keen to equal the record on Saturday and was fifth despite struggling with a misfiring pistol.

Despite the disaster, Jung put on a brave face, maintaining he had achieved what he came to do.

"I'm happy," he said. "I particularly wanted to get eight medals if possible, I got seven and I'm satisfied with that."

Jung said he had no idea what had gone wrong with his gun but had not been disappointed by failing to break the record because he hadn't been aware one existed before coming to the Games.

"I didn't know there was a record and I didn't come for the record," he said. "I just came to shoot my matches and I shot them well. The last one I was not really happy with, but it's okay," he added.

Jung, who has become something of a celebrity with his feats in Melbourne, said new-found fame meant little to him.

"I just focus on the thing at hand -- the rest is additional. You take it or you don't take it," he said. His success was a family affair, with wife Anuja also winning gold and silver in the shooting.

"I'm really happy about her winning two medals," he said. "The gold is her first individual medal as well in international competition - I'm really happy that it happened here."

The competition to decide the medal placings was still in progress Saturday afternoon with England's Mick Gault, who has a total of 11 Commonwealth Games medals in the box-seat.