The charming smile of the Chinese girl with a pony-tail and shining hairpin was unchanged in Beijing Thursday from four years ago, when she posed under limelight after grabbing the first Athens Olympic gold medal in women's 10-meter air rifle.
Du Li (center) smiles at the awarding ceremony.
Having raked in a pile of medals in that discipline and renewed the world record, 26-year-old Du Li expects more.
"I have never given up the small-bore rifle event. I've already got a gold medal for the air rifle, so I am more eager for one of the small bore. I want to prove that I can perform excellently in this event as well."
Normally appeared modest, Du has hope sparkling in her eyes talking about women's 50-meter rifle three position event.
Less people could still remember that Du made her name in the Busan Asian Games in 2002, when the young shooter snatched the gold in three positions.
Later, she concentrated in 10-meter air rifle and competed less in the three position events.
Among the two world cups she attended as three-position shooter, she grabbed a bronze in the South Korea stop 2005 and failed to edge into the final in the other.
"I am a little weak in this event," she admitted. "So I am not confident enough in this event as in the former one (10-meter air rifle)."
At the Asian Shooting Championships, the slender girl was closest to realizing her dream for another gold in the event.
Three points behind in the qualification round, Du pulled up her socks to catch up with the leading finalist, Uzbekstan debutant Elena Kuznetsova, and ended in a draw with the latter after the ninth shot in the ten-shot final.
Opportunity slipped away at the last moment, when the Uzbek scored a 10.1 and Du, who seemed to be out of gear, collected only 9.4.