Karsch posted a world and European record-equalling total of 39 points at the Olympic Shooting Range in Azerbaijan’s capital city.

Poland’s Klaudia Bres was the runner-up with a total of 33, while Bulgaria’s Maria Grozdeva came third with 29.

"I’m very, very happy at this moment," Karsch said.

"My main goal was this European Championship and to win the gold.

"Some athletes say that the year after the Olympics is not so important, but for me it is."

Karsch also helped Germany to the team gold medal with 1,738 points.

Her team-mates were Michelle Skeries and Doreen Vennekamp.

Bulgaria were the silver medallists with 1,734, followed by France who scored 1,726.

In the junior women’s 25m pistol event, Bulgaria’s Miroslava Mincheva triumphed with 33.

Czech Republic’s Anna Dedova finished three points behind in second place, while Hungary’s Veronika Major was a further five back in third. 

Italy’s Rebecca Lesti, Giulia Gampostrini and Maria Varricchio won the team competition with 1,705.

Hungary came second with 1,693, while Russia rounded out the podium with 1,683.

The youth women’s 10m air pistol and air rifle events were also held today with Russia’s Nadezhda Koloda winning the former and Germany’s Johanna Theresa Tripp coming out on top in the latter.

Koloda registered an unrivalled score of 232.5 with France’s Camille Jedrzejewski second on 231.8 and Italy’s Giulia Campostrini third with 209.9.

All three medallists secured their respective country a quota place for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires.

Tripp won the women’s 10m air rifle competition with 249.6, which was exactly one more than fellow German Anna Janssen.

Finland’s Viivi Natalia Kemppi was the bronze medallist with 223.1.

Any country that medalled could only secure one quota for Buenos Aires 2018 and with Germany occupying the top two places, Serbia claimed the third through Marija Zavisic’s fourth-place finish.

The one other event held today was the trap mixed teams, which saw Italy beat Slovenia 41-39 in the gold medal match.

Italy’s team consisted of Giovanni Pellielo, a three-time Olympic silver medallist, and Jessica Rossi, the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist. 

In the bronze medal match, Russia defeated Slovakia 3-2 in a shoot-off following a 37-37 draw.