INCHEON — Etched onto Gai Bin’s right arm is a tattoo of his love of 31 years, a pistol barrel and speeding bullet to symbolise strength and power.

The 46-year-old certainly had to summon those qualities at the Ongnyeon International Shooting Range yesterday, as he hung on to edge out local favourite Kim Young-min by one point to claim the bronze medal in the men’s 25m centre fire pistol final at the Asian Games yesterday.

Singapore shooters’ two-bronze haul — Gai Bin, Poh Lip Meng and Nigel Lim won a bronze in the men’s 25m standard pistol team event on Thursday — is an improvement from the 2010 edition in Guangzhou when the team returned empty-handed.

A triple gold medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Gai Bin’s three-series score of 584 — a personal best — just behind Qatar’s Oleg Engachev (585) and Jin Yongde of China (585) put him in medal contention.

However, the Singaporean could only watch anxiously from the sidelines as Kim trailed in fourth spot by just 99 points going into the final series. But the South Korean could only muster a 98 in the rapid fire for a 583 total. Engachev won the event after beating Jin in the gold-medal shoot-off.

Despite winning his second bronze medal at the Asiad, Gai Bin rued his missed opportunity at gold, after being affected by a Vietnamese judge’s constant reminders to keep his hand steady during the preparation for the rapid fire series.

“He said I moved during my preparation (for rapid fire) but I was nervous so my hand was shaking and I couldn’t control it,” he said. “I need to improve on controlling my temperament and not letting outside influences affect me. If I’d done so, I could have gotten the gold. It is a pity.”

The final outing for Team Singapore’s 17-strong shooting team yesterday proved a roller coaster for Singapore supporters, including chef-de-mission Jessie Phua.

Top Singapore shooter Jasmine Ser looked set to end the women’s medal drought in Incheon, storming to the top of the 40-strong field in a Games record — and equalling the Asian record — of 590 in the women’s 50m rifle three positions qualification. Leading after the first 10 shots, inconsistency crept in and Ser eventually dropped to fourth place after 30 shots.

With the bottom two shooters — India’s Lajjakumari Tilakpuri and Narantuya Chuluunbadrakh (Mongolia) — eliminated after the 40th shot, Ser was next in line for elimination in sixth spot just 0.4 points away from fifth-placed Chen Dongqi.

But Ser’s poor 9.4 shot was not enough, as she bowed out in sixth place in 411.3. Veteran Olga Divgun (Kazakhstan) clinched gold after dramatically leapfrogging South Korea’s Jeong Mira in the 45th and final shot, scoring 456.4 to Jeong’s 455.5. Chang Jing claimed the bronze in 446.2.

Ser, who also missed out on the women’s 10m air rifle bronze, needed some time to compose herself before giving interviews.

“The finals were too tough, especially with the format change. I need to work on my prone and standing positions,” said Ser. “Of course I am disapppointed, but that’s sports. I’m happy I shot well (in qualifying) today. Four years is a long wait for the next Asian Games, but my record will still be there.”