Tokyo 2020 Olympian Vitalina Batsarashkina recently won the gold medal in the women's shooting 10m air pistol competition for the Russian Olympic Committee, but a picture of her holding her pistol has warranted mansplaining from male users on social media.
The image of Batsarashkina holding her air pistol was uploaded on Twitter by a user named Zoe, who said she was "obsessed" with the Olympian's stance. The athlete could be seen holding her pistol with her right hand as she placed her left hand inside her left-side pocket.
ASAKA, JAPAN - JULY 30: Gold Medalist Vitalina Batsarashkina competes in 25m Pistol Women's Finals on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Asaka Shooting Range on July 30, 2021 in Asaka, Saitama, Japan.
Mansplaining a Gold Medalist
However, other online users, particularly male individuals, were quick to point out the apparent "mistake" in how she held her "gun." Keyboard warriors disagreed and told the Olympic gold medalist that she was holding her weapon wrong, with others claiming she must have missed a lot of her shots during the competition.
One user also said that while the Olympian's stance and grip on her weapon were "cool," the recoil of the gun would have shattered her wrist the moment she fired. Another male user said he wanted to see Batsarashkina's arm due to the strength she had to withstand the recoil her gun would have made, Indy100 reported.
Many others, however, were also quick to come to the gold medalist's defense, arguing that many of the "mansplainers" had no idea what sport Batsarashkina was competing in. One user was quick to note that the weapon the Olympian was holding was simply an air pistol and would not have had much of a recoil.
One user also showed another picture of a 10m air pistol competition, where competitors kept the same stance and grip as Batsarashkina did. Another Twitter user also shared a gray-scale picture of soldiers from a century ago holding small pistols with a similar stance and grip.
During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Batsarashkina won the 10m and 25m categories of the sport. Her achievements made her one of the most celebrated athletes worldwide, ScoopWhoop reported.
Wanting to Go Back Home
Batsarashkina faced off against South Korean Kim Min-Jung in the women's 25m air pistol event for the gold medal. The two Olympians shot a record of 38, forcing a shoot-off, which resulted in the Russian Olympian cracking a wry smile.
When asked, Batsarashkina said she was frequently in shoot-offs, and when she noticed she was entering another one, it amused her, Reuters reported. While leading early, Kim eventually lost the fight against the Russian superstar.
After the competition, Batsarashkina immediately pointed out she was homesick and was glad to finally be heading back to her home country. She said that despite her enjoyment of competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she was happy to finally go back home.
On the other hand, the silver and bronze medalists, Kim and China's Xiao Jiaruixuan, also shared the same sentiments as the Russian Olympian. During an interview, Kim said she missed her mother's sauteed potatoes the most during her time away from home. Despite being anxious, she said she had a lot of fun competing in the event.
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