Czapla won his second title and announced:” I am going to quit”
The Polish athlete Lukasz Czapla, who had been the protagonist of the 2006 World Championships of Zagreb, keeps the world champion title in the 10m Running Target Mixed Men event. Ukraine ruled women competitions, while Russia won the podium in the junior men competition.
The first medals of the 2008 ISSF World Championships in Running Targets Events has been assigned at today’s 10m Running Target Mixed competitions.
“This has been a terrible competition: my last competition! – surprisingly commented the Polish athlete, one of the most successful running target shooters of the last seasons, winning here his second consecutive title – I am going to quit with the running target. I am changing from rifle to pistol: it is difficult to be supported after running target event has been discontinued at the Games. I will start training for the Air Pistol Olympic event.”
He outdid 18 to 16 the 36-year old Finish athlete Krister HOLMBERG, who closed in second place winning Silver.
Bronze went to Emil ANDERSSON of Sweden, who shot-off his teammate Niklas BERGSTROEM 19 to 18 points. Andersson closed the round with a total of 382 points, and said to be satisfied with his scores “The overall results haven’t been that high here… and the 10m Running Target Mixed is not my favourite event… I am sure that I can make better on the 50 meters distance!”
The team men competition was leaded by the Russian Federation, that climbed the highest step of the podium with an overall score of 1137 points, fired by the three teammates Dmitry ROMANOV, Alexander BLINOV, and Maxim STEPANOV. Silver went to team Ukraine, which scored 1127 points, while Bronze went to Hungary, that placed third with 1125 points.
The 10m Running Target Mixed Women competition has been dominated by Ukraine that placed three shooters on the podium. The three teammates shared the medal standings: 27-year old Galina AVRAMENKO, Silver medallist at the last 2006 World Championships of Zagreb, finished in first winning the title with a total of 381 points. Victoriya ZABOLOTNA, who had won a Bronze medal in Zagreb, finished in second totalizing 376 points, while her teammate Kateryna SAMOHINA closed the round in third, winning Bronze with 373 points.
Ukraine also won the Junior Women Team podium with a total of 1093 points, scored by Anastasya SAVELYEVA (Silver in the individual competition), Valentyna HONCHAROVA (Bronze in the individual competition) and Liudmyla VASYLYUK. Russia finished in second with 1048 points, while team Hungary, guided by the individual competition winner Bianka KECZELI, finished in third gaining the team’s Bronze.
Russia won the Junior Men competition, placing in first with a total score of 1109 points, followed by Germany, second with 1102 points, and by the home team Czech Republic, third with 1091 points.
Russia leaded thanks to the excellent individual performances of Mikhail AZARENKO, first with 382 points, and Aleksey BRATCHIKOV, second with 378. The two teammates preceded the home shooter Frantisek LOSOS, who finished in third place with 374 points.
