Italy's Gabriele Rossetti won the men's skeet title at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Italy's Gabriele Rossetti secured the men's skeet gold medal after opponent Marcus Svensson of Sweden missed the last of his 16 targets as Kuwait's Abdullah Al-Rashidi became only the fourth competitor representing the Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA) to win a medal at the Games today.

In the men's 25 metres rapid fire event, Germany's Christian Reitz topped the podium with a score of 34 hits to claim his country's third title on the indoor range at the Olympic Shooting Centre.

Rossetti shot perfectly in the semi-final and was able to replicate that performance in the battle for gold with Svensson, who had looked in superb form before his 16th attempt was wayward, handing the Italian victory.

The result for Rossetti, whose father Bruno coaches the French team and won skeet bronze at Barcelona 1992, saw him seal Italy's third crown in the shooting events at Rio 2016.

"I was confident I could make it,” the 21-year-old, who was making his Olympic debut, said. 

“We are a strong team, Italy won three out of the six Skeet medals up for grabs here in Rio, I feel part of a great family.”

Al-Rashidi, competing as part of the IOA squad due to the current suspension of the Kuwait Olympic Committee for government interference, shot down all 16 targets in his clash with Sydney 2000 champion Mikola Milchev to clinch the bronze medal.

Germany's Christian Reitz topped the podium in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event ©Getty Images
Germany's Christian Reitz topped the podium in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event ©Getty Images

His countryman, Fehaid Aldeehani, was crowned the first-ever Olympic gold medallist representing an IOA team when he won the men's double trap event earlier this week.

All four Olympic medals claimed by IOA members have come in shooting after Yugoslavian Jasna Šekarić finished with silver in Barcelona, while compatriots Aranka Binder and Stevan Pletikosić left the Spanish city with bronze.

Reitz was by far the most consistent performer in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol final, with Frenchman Jean Quiquampoix, who amassed a score of 30, having to settle for silver.

Lie Yuehong of China rounded out the top three with bronze after losing a shoot-off with Quiquampoix for a place in the last two.

The trio took advantage of the surprise early exit of Li's team-mate Zhang Fusheng, the current world number one, who bowed out in fourth after defending Olympic champion Leuris Pupo of Cuba exited in fifth.

"Basically, I was competing against myself, and I tried to concentrate on what I was doing, shot after shot,” said Reitz.

"I had a problem on my second shots. 

"I missed the second target a number of times, and I was not able to fix it, so I tried my best to hit at least the other four targets.”