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The Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing, France’s Anthony TERRAS, won the Skeet Men event at the ISSF World Cup in Minsk climbing on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 146 hits + 22 targets in the shoot-off. The France shooter won the medal after passing through a 10-pair shoot-off for Gold.

“I had nothing to loose, we where all tied and I only tried to give my best to succeed. I have a certain experience in long shoot-offs: I went through such a shoot-off at the Olympic Games of Beijing;” said the 23-year old athletes after shooting-off Finland’s Heikki MERILUOTO and Ukraine’s Mikola MILCHEV, who placed in second and third place, respectively.

Today’s six finalists had started the final round tied with a qualification score of 121 hits, in a clear and sunny afternoon, with calm wind, that followed yesterday’s rainy qualifications.

The first shooter to exit the quest for gold was Germany’s Thorsten HAPKE, who dropped two precious targets in fifth and sixth station, closing the final round in sixth with a total score of 144 hits.

Italy’s Valerio LUCHINI, Bronze medallist at the last ISSF World Cup in Munich, followed HAPKE by loosing a low-house clay on the fourth station placing in fifth with a total score of 145 targets.

Beijing Silver and Bronze medallists Tore BROVOLD of Norway and Anthony TERRAS of France, together with Finland’s Heikki MERILUOTO and the 2000 Olympic Champion Mikola MILCHEV of Ukraine, tied in first place by shooting a perfect final round of 25 hits and a total score of 146 targets. A four-way shoot-off for Gold was issued between them to decide the winner of the match.

The 38-year old Norwegian shooter BROVOLD was the first to leave the golden shoot-off after missing an high-house target on his second pair. Beijing’s Olympic Silver medallist closed the round in fourth place with 146 +3 targets.

MILCHEV, TERRAS and MARILUOTO kept on shooting for Gold right to the tenth pair, when the 41-year old MILCHEV missed a target placing himself in third place with a total score of 146 +19 hits.

Following him, MARILUOTO dropped a Mark on his eleventh pair, placing in second and winning Silver with 146 +21 hits, while the 23-year old TERRAS won the spectators’ applauses and the Gold medal with 146 +22 hits.

“I am so happy about this Gold!” said the France shooter, who had never won a World Cup Gold medal before. “Was I shooting fast? That wasn’t because I was nervous, that’s my way of shooting finals!”

Svetlana DEMINA shot a perfect 25-target final in spite of the wind
The 48-year old Russian shooter Svetlana DEMINA won today’s Skeet Women competition, the opening competition of the third World Cup Stage in Shotgun events of the year.

The four-time world champion DEMINA won the brightest medal with a total score 96 (71+25) hits, climbing from the third place she had on the start list after the qualification. The Russian athlete shot a perfect final round hitting all of the targets in spite of the severe wind conditions. Even if the morning’s rain had ceased as the final round started, an intense wind disturbed the finalists, affecting the targets’ trajectories.

The expert DEMINA, competing since 1979, shot her third ISSF world cup gold medal today, reaching her tenth world cup medal in total.

A three-way shoot-off to assign Silver
Following the winner, a three-way shoot-off took place to assign the Silver and the Bronze medals. The qualification leader Katiuscia SPADA of Italy, the 18-year old American finalist Caitlin CONNOR and the second Italian finalist Cristina VITALI had indeed tied in second place with a total score of 95 hits.

Caitlin CONNOR, 18, from the USA, secured Silver by shooting both the targets of her first shoot-off double, ending up on the podium with a total score of 95 (71+24) + 2 targets. The American athlete, today’s youngest finalist, had never won an international medal before. She had debuted in the ISSF World Cup Series in Cairo, last month, when she had finished in sixth place.

“I had hurt my hand before I left USA, but I did not tell my mother… -  Said the young American shooter smiling after the final match - Actually, that did not affect me: I was able to shoot quite ok. – continued CONNOR – I was feeling very confident today, in spite of the weather conditions… and I am very happy of my first ISSF medal!”

Bronze to qualification’s leader SPADA
Bronze went to Italy’s Katiuscia SPADA, who won the duel for the podium against her teammate VITALI, finishing on the podium with a total score of 95 +1+2 targets. SPADA had walked into the final round with the highest qualification score of 72 hits, dropping then two determinant clays on the fourth and fifth station.

“I should have shot a better final!” Said Bronze medallist SPADA “I am surprised by the scores shot by my competitors in today’s final match. The wind was really tough, and the light conditions dramatically changed from the qualifications to the final match… anyhow, I am happy I got a medal: today’s podium closes my World Cup season, since I am not coming to compete in San Marino”

Cristina VITALI ended up in fourth place, with 95 +1+1 targets, followed by the Olympic finalist of Beijing Natalie LARSSON of Sweden, fifth with a total score of 92 hits. The third Italian finalist, Adriana FATTORINI, closed her first final round in sixth place with a total score of 87 hits.