Archerfish.org

The fourth and last leg of the 2009 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Series was officially closed today at the shooting range “La Ciarulla” of San Marino.

The ISSF Technical Delegate for this competitio, Mr. Keith Murray, officially closed the competition, thanking the participants and the organizers of the ISSF World Cup in San Marino.

“In behalf of the ISSF President Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña and of the ISSF Secretary General Mr. Horst Schreiber, I would like to thank our hosts for the success of this competition” said Mr. Murray.

“A special thanks goes to the San Marino’s authorities, Mr. Fabio Berardi, the Minister of Tourism and Sport of San Marino, and Mr. Angelo Vicini, the President of San Marino’s Natioanl Olympic Committee. Thank you for your support!”

The Overall medal standings:
The United States of America won the overall medal standings of the ISSF World Cup Stage of San Marino, thanks to the Gold medal won by Hadden at today’s Trap Men Final. The USA placed in first with one Gold, one Silver and Bronze medals.

The People’s Republic of China, with the Gold medal won by the first time medallist MO in the Double Trap event, place in second in the overall medal standings with one Gold and one Bronze medals.

Cyprus, Italy and Lithuania followed in third place, with one Gold medal each.

The 29-year old American shooter Ryan HADDEN won the Trap Men final at the ISSF World Cup in San Marino, the fourth and last leg of this year’s ISSF World Cup Series. The American shooter claimed Gold shooting in the rain, in spite of the changing weather conditions affecting this two-day Trap competition.

HADDEN shot today’s Gold medal with a total score of 144 +3 targets, outdoing the Olympic Champion KOSTELECKY in a shoot-off for Gold. HADDEN is not new to the podium: the American shooter came from a victory at this year’s first World Cup stage, in Cairo.

“The Qualification round has been a little bit difficult because of the visibility. I entered into the final very confident. I felt confident going into the shoot-off.” Said HADDEN, right after receving the last gold medal of the competition.

The Olympic Champion of Beijing, David KOSTELECKY, 34, finished in second place claiming Silver with a total score of 144 +2 targets, missing a crucial clay in the shoot-off.

“I missed two times the same target, within today’s final… two right targets… I have been a little bit unlucky in the shoot-off, but I am happy of my overall result.” Said the Olympic Champion right after the final match.

“I had not shoot at my best, at the last World Cup stage, and I found this shooting range of San Marino is quite difficult, therefore I am satisfied of my 23-hit final and of my 121-hit  qualification.” Continued Kostelecky, who had placed in 11th at the last World Cup stage in Minsk, shooting 116 targets.

With a total score of 143 targets, Bronze went to the 34-year old Sergio PINERO, who had also shot in the final round of Cairo’s World Cup stage. PINERO, previously representing Spain, and now shooting for Dominican Republic, used to compete in Double Trap, and had never won an ISSF medal in the Trap Men event, before.

Coming in next, the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Champion Michael DIAMOND placed in fifth after loosing a shoot-off against Slovakia’s FILIPOVIC.  DIAMOND ended up the round with a total score of 141 +10, after missing his last final clay. The 33-year old finalist Mario FILIPOVIC grabbed the fourth place with 141 +11 targets.

Belgium Philippe DUPONT finished in sixth place with a total score of 135 (119+16) hits. The 45-year old shooter had shot his last World Cup final round fifteen years ago, at the 1994 World Cup held in Cairo.

San Marino’s weather changed again, today. Following three rainy and cold days, the sun came back to shine for the first Trap match of this ISSF World Cup stage. The Trap Women final took place in a sunny and warm afternoon, with slight wind coming from the Adriatic see (right/back side of the range), which did not seem to affect the round. The sun shone also for the home athlete PERILLI, who won her first world cup medal ever, lifting the host country, San Marino, the smallest Republic of the World, on the podiu,.

San Marino’s Perilli brought the home country on the podium
The home athlete, San Marino’s 21-year old shooter Alessandra PERILLI, won the applauses of the crowd of spectators by winning the Silver with 87 hits, outdoing China’s LU 6 to 5 hits in a shoot-off for the medal.

“The smallest Republic of the World beats the biggest!” said PERILLI right after the shoot-off, “I am so happy, I struggled at the beginning of the match, but when I understood I was in the shoot-off I said to myself “Alessandra hang on, you cannot miss now! And I made it!”

“I guess I qualified for the World Cup Final. I hadn’t planned it at all!” Concluded the 21-year Alessandra PERILLI, hugged by her older Sister Arianna, shooting for the Italian Federation in this World Cup stage.

The young San Marino’s shooter had made it into the final round in the lead, with a qualification score of 70 hits. Shooting 17 final targets, PERILLI slid back the scoreboard, grabbing Silver at the shoot-off.  PERILLI, who had never shot in an ISSF World Cup final round, was the first San Marinense shooter to make it into a final round during this ISSF World Cup Stage in San Marino.

Gold medal to the 2000 Olympic Champion
The 2000 Sydney’s Olympic Champion, Daina GUDZINEVICIUTE of Lithuania, 43-year old, claimed Gold with a total score of 88 (68+20) hits. Incredibly, the Lithuanian champion, competing since 1988, had never won an ISSF World Cup medal before.

China claimed Bronze
The Silver medallist of this year’s World Cup stage of Munich, the 25-year old LU Xingyu of the People’s Republic of China landed in third place, claiming the Bronze medal after loosing the shoot-off for Silver against San Marino’s PERILLI.

The young and talented Chinese shooter debuted in the ISSF World Cup Series this year, making it into three World Cup final rounds (here, in Minsk and in Munich), winning a Silver and a Bronze medal.

Olympic Silver Stefecekova close to the podium
The Olympic Silver medallist of Beijing, Zuzana STEFECEKOVA, went close to the podium, ending up today’s final match in fourth place. The Slovakian shooter, who had walked into the final with a qualification score of 69 targets, lost her chance by missing on her 24th target. She finished in  fourth place with a total score of 86 +2 hits after outdoing Czech’s Republic Iveta LOOSOVA in a shoot-off.