The 27-yeard-old defeated Poland’s Sylwia Bogacka at London 2012 but will have to defy history if she is to claim the gold again medal at Rio 2016 as no defending champion has achieved the feat in the event at the Games.

Her team-mate Du Li will hope to replicate her gold medal success from Athens 2004.

Bogacka is again expected to pose a threat to Chinese pair.

The event will also feature Croatia’s Snjezana Pejcic, last year's International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Female Shooter of the Year.

Pejcic claimed a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 but failed to progress past the qualification round four years ago in London.

Serbia’s Andrea Arsovic, the only non-Chinese gold medallist during this year’s ISSF World Cup Series, will also pose a threat.

Following the conclusion of the women’s event, the men’s 10m air pistol competition will take centre stage in the with Jin Jongoh expected to star.

The South Korean triumphed in both the 10m and 50m air pistol events at London 2012, adding to his gold and silver medals from Beijing.

Jin, the world record holder in the event, also won a silver medal at Athens 2004 and will look to continue his run of winning a medal at each of his appearances at the Olympic Games.

Beijing 2008 champion Pang Wei of China could prove his biggest threat in the competition, while Felipe Almeida Wu will provide the Brazilian challenge.