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Italy finished on top. “A great competition” the ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña said at the closing ceremony, awarding the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.

Today’s Trap Men Final won by Australia’s two-time Olympic Champion Michael Diamond closed this year’s ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final in Al Ain (UAE).

The competitions, which was hosted at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, in the United Arab Emirates, kicked-off on the last September the 30^th.

Only the top shotgun shooters of the world were eligible to participate in the event: the reigning world champions, the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final title defenders, and the top-8 World Cup competitors selected throughout this year’s four ISSF world cup stages in Sydney (AUS), Conception (CHI), Beijing (CHN) and Maribor (SLO).

“This had been a great competition, also thanks to our hosts, who organized an excellent event.” The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña said at the closing ceremony, awarding H.E. Mohammed Rashid Al Nasseri, President of the Organizing Committee an ISSF Silver medal.

“This is a beautiful shooting range, one of the best of the world, and I am sure we will be coming back here in Al Ain.” The President added.

Italy atop of the medal standings

It was Italy who finished atop of the medal standings, with an overall of three medals, all won in Trap event. The 19-year old Trap phenomenon Jessica Rossi won the Trap Women event yesterday, while Rodolfo Vigano and Massimo Fabbrizi finished on today’s Trap Men podium in second and third place, behind the two-time Olympic Champ Michael Diamond.

Australia, India and the USA finished atop of the overall medal standings of this event, with one Gold medal each, as well as the hosting country, the United Arab Emirates, who celebrated the victory of H.H. Sheik Saeed Al Maktoum at the Skeet Men event.

The medal standings:

The medallists of the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final in Al Ain

Australia’s marksmen Michael Diamond beat Italy’s Vigano at the shoot-off, after a brethtaking head to head duel throughout the final round.

The two-time Olympic Champion Michael Diamond of Australia won the Trap Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final, held this year in Al Ain, UAE.

The Australian champion finished on the highest step of the podium with an overall score of 142 (119+23) hits, after outdoing Italy’s Rodolfo Vigano in a shoot-off for Gold by 4 to 3 hits.

Diamond, 39, had qualified for this match by winning a Silver medal at this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Maribor. The expert Australian sharpshooter had already won three ISSF World Cup Finals, in his career, in 1997, 2000 and 2009.

Today’s Silver medal went to Rodolfo Vigano, a 40-year old shooter who finished in second with 142 (119+23) hits, after loosing the final shoot-off against Diamond. Qualified after winning a Silver medal at the first 2011 ISSF World Cup Stage, in Sydney, Vigano had already won an ISSF World Cup Final Silver in 1993, in Munich.

He was followed by the second Italian finalist, the world record holder Massimo Fabbrizi, 34, who ended up in third with a total score of 140 (119+21 hits) after missing his very last target.

The 2004 Olympic Champion, Russia’s Alexey Alipov, closed the match in fourth with 137 (117+20) hits, while the reigning Olympic Champion, Czech Republic’s David Kostelecky, placed in sixth with an overall score of 134 (117+17) hits, behind Spain’s Alberto Fernandez, fifth with 135 (116+19) hits.

19-year old Rossi made it at her fourth try, with six targets of advantage. Germany’s Quoos pocketed the Silver, overtaking China’s Wu Cuicui. “Hello Kitty” did not help Chinese’s Taipei Lin Yi Chun to get on the podium: she finished in fourth, one target behind the medallists, in spite of her lucky charm.

“Finally I made it!” Exclaimed Jessica Rossi, the winner of today’s Trap Women match at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final, held in Al Ain, UAE, from September the 30^th to October the 7^th.

“I have been chasing this title since four years!” the young Italian shooter said, eager for results, in spite of being just 19-year old.

Entering today’s medal match in the lead with a score of 70 hits after the qualifications, Jessica started-off the match with four targets of advantage on her followers.

Managing her head start advantage, the Italian shooter from Crevalcore hit 23 out of 25 targets during the final, more than anybody else, to land on the highest step of the podium with a golden score of 93 hits. Six targets more than her closest opponent, the German Silver medallist Katrin Quoos.

“I have been qualifying for the ISSF World Cup Final every year, since 2008. Last year I even finished on the podium. But I was looking for the big Cup, and finally I got it!” Said Rossi, who had placed in second at last year’s ISSF World Cup Final in Izmir (TUR).

Shooting since she was a child, when her father used to train her in their backyard, Rossi won her first ISSF World Cup Stage in Shul (GER) in 2008, at the age of 16. Then, the following year, she secured the World Title at the 2009 ISSF World Championship in Maribor, beating Olympic champions and world record holders.

This year, she finished on the podium at the first world cup stage of the seasons, winning a silver medal in Sydney, and then led the ISSF World Cup Stage in Beijing, qualifying for this final.

“It has been a long season.” Jessica said; “I came here to shoot the last match of the year, and I had a lot of fun. Now it’s time for some holidays!”

The Silver medal went to Germany’s Katrin Quoos, a 24-year old shooter from Kyritz, who had never finished on an ISSF podium, before. In spite of equalling the world record at this year’s ISSF world cup stage in Maribor (where she placed then in fourth), Quoos had never won a major medal, before.

Entering today’s final round with a qualification score of 66 hits in third place, the German shooter climbed up the scoreboard by hitting 22 targets in the final, to finish then in second place with a total of 87 hits.

China’s Wu Cuicui secured today’s Bronze medal, finishing in third with a total of 83 hits. The 23-year old Chinese finalist, who qualified for this match by winning a Bronze at this year’s first world cup stage in Sydney, finished on the podium in spite of hitting 17 targets only during the medal match.

Coming in fourth, “Hello Kitty” did not bring enough luck to Chinese’s Taipei Lin Yi Chun, shooting with a pink amulet of the popular cat stitched to the barrels of her shotgun. The 30-year old shooter finished indeed with a total of 82 (62+20) hits, just one target far from the podium, in spite of her lucky charm “Which usually brings me luck… usually…”

Following her, Russia’s Elena Tkach closed in fifth with 80 (61+19) hits, while the Olympic Silver medallist of Beijing Zuzana Stefecekova (SVK) closed the round in sixth with 78 (63+15) hits.

The Indian ace shooter beat China’s Hu Binyuan in a breathtaking shoot-off for the Gold medal. While the Indian makes plans for the Olympics, Hu’s nightmare continues: this was his sixth world cup final silver medal within nine years, without a title.

India’s Ronjan Sodhi won today’s Double Trap Men event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final held in Al Ain (UAE) from September the 30^th to October the 7^th.

After scoring 187 targets, he shoot-off China’s Hu Binyuan by 2 to 1 hits in the tiebreaker, securing his second ISSF World Cup title back to back.

The 31-year old Indian shooter arrived here to defend the title he had secured at last year’s ISSF World Cup Final in Izmir (TUR), and centred the goal after a spine chilling medal match.

After entering final match in second place, with a qualification score of 142 hits out of 150 targets, Sodhi climbed up overtaking China’s Hu. But, at the last double, he wasted the one-target advantage he had built up by missing his very last target.

Just an unlucky shot?

“Not exactly. I knew what was going on. I needed to hit that target to win, and I missed it over the excitement.” Sodhi said right after the final.

“Things like that can be fatal: I was thinking too much before the last double. I made such a stupid mistake, but then I was able to get back on focus at the shoot-off, and I made it.” The Indian shooter commented about shooting-off China’s Hu.

“It’s simply great to win two ISSF World Cup Finals back to back.  I have always been doing good in the last three-four seasons, and I am looking forward to the Olympic Games, now.”

Sodhi has never participated in the Olympics. Three years ago, in spite of scoring a World Record just a few weeks before the 2008 Games, he did not make it to the Indian Olympic team going to Beijing. Now, after such a result, he is almost sure he will be competing in London.

“We had a chance to test some targets that could be used at the Olympics, here in Al Ain. But these targets are too hard, you can tell it by looking at the scores: too low.” He commented.

“I would like to dedicate this medal to all the people who supported me, and to thank the government of India: they are investing on me, and I hope I will pay them back when it will be my turn in London.”

China’s Hu  Binyuan secured today’s Silver medal, finishing on the podium with 187+1 hits. After starting the match in first with 144 hits, he scored 43 targets, finishing in second after missing at his first shoot-off double.

The World Cup Final must be Hu’s nightmare: since 2003, he has finished in second six times (four consecutive times between 2006 and 2009), and has never won a Gold medal in this event.

With 185 hits, the Bronze medal went to Russia’s Vitaly Fokeev, a 37-year old world record holder who qualified to participate in this event by winning this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Concepcion.

Italy’s 33-year old Marco Innocenti finished in fourth place with 180 (136+44) hits, followed by the 2008 Olympic Champion Walton Eller, fifth with 178 hits, the same score of Great Britain’s Peter Wislon, who closed the match in sixth place.

H.H. Sheik Saeed Almaktoum of Dubai left his opponents three targets behind him, securing his first ISSF World Cup Final title at the age of 35, with a total score of 146 hits out of 150 targets.

The home athlete won today’s Skeet Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final, raising the United Arab Emirates flag upon the highest step of the podium, for the joy of the local spectators.

H.H. Sheik Saeed Almaktoum, from Dubai (UAE), pocketed indeed the Cup with a total score of 146 hits, leaving his closest opponent three targets behind him.

Walking into the final match with today’s highest qualification score (121 hits out of 125 targets) Almaktoum closed the medal match in the lead by hitting 25 out of 25 targets.

“It has been a tough match, we have to admit that these targets were difficult to break.” The winner said, hugging the cup.

“I have been working a lot on the cartridges, to find out the best combination for this match.” He said. “I work a lot on materials and on developments: I change my shotgun almost every year, I fitted several different stocks, and I went from low-rib to high-rib and vice-versa, before finding the best technical solutions.”

Almaktoum, 35-years old, started competing in Trap 1995, switching then to Skeet. Competing in several ISSF events, he pocketed a Silver medal at the 2001 ISSF World Cup Stage in Seoul, before today’s success on his home court.

“This is not exactly my home ground” Sheik Saeed Almaktoum said after the final “I come from Dubai, and I drove here to Al Ain – one and half hour every day – to train and to prepare for this competition.”

“It’s great to win this title, here in the United Arab Emirates” he added “I have been a bit unlucky in the past, missing some finals by one targets only, and missing some medal chances. Finally, luck turned in my favour!”

Today’s Silver medal went to the 2008 Olympic Silver medallist Tore Brovold of Norway, 41, who finished in second place with a total score of 143 hits. Scoring 118 targets during the qualification, the world record holder hit all the 25 targets in the final, but that was not enough to reach today’s Almaktoum.

“Targets were too hard to break, here. I don’t like these clays, and I had to choose the cartridges back home, before coming here, so I had no chance to adapt to the situation.” Brovold said.

He was followed in third place by the recently-awarded ISSF World Champion, Spain’s Juan Josè Aramburu, from Guipzucia, Pais Basques. Aramburu finished in third place with an overall score of 141 targets, after hitting 118 targets in the qualifications and 23 clays in the final.

“I am a bit tired, at the end of the season.” Aramburu said right after the final. “I competed at the World Championship just a few weeks ago… now I feel I am ready for some rest!”

Cyprus’ top skeet shooter, Georgios Achilleos, finished in fourth place, with 139 (115+24) hits, followed by Norway’s Ole Eilif Undseth (fifth with 139 hits) and by Greece’s Nikolas Mavrommatis, sixth with 137 hits.