RIO DE JANEIRO — Virginia Thrasher went through a three-week spring whirlwind, winning three N.C.A.A. titles and a spot on the United States Olympic team.
Thrasher, a precocious 19-year-old, closed out the summer with her biggest surprise yet.
Keeping her nerve on sports’ biggest stage, Thrasher earned the first gold medal of the Rio Olympics on Saturday, outlasting the two-time gold medalist Du Li of China to capture the women’s 10-meter air rifle title.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” Thrasher said. “I knew it was a realistic expectation for me to get into the finals, and once you get into the finals, anything can happen.