Olympic star Vitalina Batsarashkina has gained popularity after her shooting stance went viral for being “cool” and “relaxed.”
However, while social media fans love the 24-year-old shooting technique, some blokes have decided to question the champion’s performance.
Batsarashkina has been subject to widespread sexist comments on social media regarding the stance she adopts when she holds her gun.
The Russian athlete shoves her left hand into her pocket as she shoots with her right hand in a manner that seems calm and effortless.
She won the Russian Olympic Committee’s first-ever gold medal on Sunday. Her outstanding performance in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gave the young shooter her second gold medal by winning the 25m pistol at the Asaka Shooting Range.
But after a user tweeted a picture of the Russian athlete’s stance in appreciation, Twitter started getting filled with mansplainers and sexist comments.
One user vented his frustrations: “Does it look cool? Yes, it is. Will their wrist shatter the moment they fire? Absolutely it will.”
“Not only are you going to have a broken wrist or nose, you’re also gonna have to deal with the fact you one handed that gun for no reason other than to be bold,” another keyboard warrior added.
Another person responded to the original tweet, saying that there was a reason why people say that guns should be held with two hands.
However, one user shot down their arguments, pointing out that Olympians must shoot with one hand in the 10-meter air pistol event.
Under Olympics rules, shooters are not allowed to support their shooting hand, making Batsarashkina’s abilities even more impressive. The Russian athlete however does not tuck her left hand in her pocket to look great, but to have greater balance.
One expert on the sport wrote on Twitter: “When you’re shooting as precisely as that, your heartbeat throws off your aim.”
Therefore, shooters can maintain a firm stance if “they stand as relaxed as possible,” the shooting pro added.
Batsarashkina has had a successful career so far.
Besides winning the 10m air pistol and 25 pistol events at this year’s Games and being a World and European champion, she won a silver medal in Rio 2016.
