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The 25-year old Air Pistol Olympic Champion won the brightest medal climbing from the third place, leaving the qualification leader Boneva in third place. Bulgaria and China were awarded the Quota Places.

Olena Kostevych pocketed her second medal at the 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney, today. The Ukrainian shooter who had won Bronze at the 10m Air Pistol Women event a few days ago, secured today’s 25m Pistol Women Gold medal with a total score of 787.3 points.

Kostevych, a 2004 Air Pistol Olympic Champion, made it to today’s final in third place, with a qualification score of 584 points. She had started three points behind the qualification’s leader, Antoaneta Boneva, but the wind turned the tables of the round.

While Boneva slid down in the placements, Kostevych climbed up in the lead with an excellent final score of 203.3 points, finishing on the highest step of the podium. The 25-year old shooter, an expert Air Pistol shooter, had never won a Gold medal in this small bore event, before.

Boneva landed in third place with a total score of 786.1 (587+199.1) points, securing the Bronze medal. But the 25-year old Bulgarian shooter did not care about the colour of the medal: by finishing in third she secured an Olympic Quota Place for her country, an entry pass for the next 2012 Games.

Finishing in second with the Silver, it was China’s Jing Yuan, 23, who secured the second Quota Place with a total score of 786.2 (584 +202.1) points.

Her teammate Chen Ying, the reigning Olympic Champion, finished in sixth and last place, with 734.0 points. The Chinese top shooter experienced a non-allowed malfunction on her second competition series, and missed four shots as she was not allowed to re-shoot the series.

Winning the 50m Pistol Men event, Japan’s Matsuda Tomoyuki secued his second consecutive Gold medal at the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Sydney. Italy and China won the Olympic Quota Places.

The 50m Pistol Men final took place in a windy day, at the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney. But, in spite of the unfavourable conditions, the two-time World Champion Matsuda Tomoyuki of Japan secured the Gold medal with ease. Starting the match in first with a qualification score of 567 points, the Japanese shooter increased his advantage over his followers shot after shot. Shooting the highest final score, 97.0 points, Matsuda landed on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 664.0 points.

The 35-year old Japanese shooter had won the 10m Air Pistol men event just three days ago, dedicating the victory to his wounded homeland.

Today, winning his second consecutive Gold medal at the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Sydney, he took the chance to say something more about the situation in Japan. “I can’t really celebrate, right now. My family lives in the surroundings of Tokyo, and we are worried about the nuclear emergency.” Matsuda said. “Everybody here at the ISSF World Cup asked me if I was ok while I was in Japan. I was touched by them and I would like to thank all the shooters who came to talk to me.”

Two Olympic Quota Place had to be assigned at today’s final. As Matsuda had already won a Quota at the last 2010 World Championship, the Olympic qualification cards went to the Silver and the Bronze medallists.

After fighting neck and neck with Chian’s Pang Wei, it was Francesco Bruno who secured the first Olympic Quota place, a 32-year old Italian athlete who competed in both the 2004 and at the 2008 Olympic Games. Entering the match with 563 qualification points, he fired today’s second best final score (96.8 points) to finish upon the second step of the podium with a total of 659.8 points.

The 2008 Air Pistol Olympic Champion, Pang Wei of the People’s Republic of China, finished in third right behind Bruno, with a total score of 659.9 (561+95.9) points, pocketing the second Olympic Quota Place.

Ending up in fourth place, Korea’s Lee Daemyung closed the match with 656.3 points, followed by China’s Wu Xiao Wu, 28-year old, at his first participation in an ISSF World Cup stage in this event, who finished in fifth with 655.8 points. The third Chinese finalist, Zhang Tian, placed in sixth with 654.7 points.

The Serbian shooter Damir Mikec, 26, a finalist at the last 2008 Olympic Games, closed the match in seventh with 654.5 points, followed by Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec, 38, with 653.7 points.

The Italian shooter won the 10m Air Rifle Men event at the last shot, with only 0.1 points of advantage on his followers. France and China secured the two Olympic Quota Places.

Italy’s World Champion Niccolò Campriani of Italy won the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney. The 23-year old athlete secured the brightest medal climbing form the fourth place. Qualified with 596 points, he marked 103.3 points in the final, ending up with 699.3 points and the Gold medal. Winning the match, Campriani also secured his leadership atop of the world ranking.

“I did not believe I could make it!” said the Italian shooter, who trains at the West Virginia University, in USA, where he’s studying industrial engineering. “I travelled thru three continents in the last two weeks… I was kind of tired!” Said Campriani who competed at the European Championship in Brescia winning a Bronze before coming to Sydney.

Following him, the other seven finalists fought right to the last shot, trying to secured one of the three Olympic Quota Places to be awarded at today’s finals.

It was France’s Pierre Edmond Piasecki who won the hurdle, ending up in second place with 699.2 (597+102.2) points, pocketing the Silver medal and the first Olympic Quota.

Following him, China’s Wang Tao placed in third after outdoing 10.1 to 9.8 Norway’s Are Hansen in a shoot-off for the Bronze medal. Both of them secured an Olympic Quota Place.

Austria’s Mario Knoegler and Nederland’s Peter Hellenbrand followed in fifth and sixth place, preceding the unlucky Israeli shooter Sergy Rikhter who closed the match in seventh with 697.3 points after firing an unlucky 8.4 on his last shot. The 2008 Olympic medallist Henri Hakkinen followed him in eighth place, closing the match with 696.7 points.

Jamie Beyerle and Amy Sowash won Gold and Silver defeating the wind at today’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women final. France and Poland secured the Olympic Quota Places.

The wind has been a true protagonist of today’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women final, at the 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney. A strong breeze blowing from the front-right side of the shooting range, twisting right in front of the targets. All the finalists had problems to hit the 10th ring, today. All but one: USA’s Jamie Bayerle, the winner of the match, who finished upon the podium with a total score of 685.3 (589+96.3) points, almost not affected by the gusts.

“It has been a crazy final, with the wind coming form the right side and into the hall. I hadn’t seen such a match since a while!” Beyerle said right after the final “The wind was affecting the body, not only the shots. And shooting in standing position you can’t compensate it much.”

“Generally, when it’s windy, you look thru and wait for the target to look good. Not today. It never looked good with this wind!” Added Beyerle, who finished atop of the podium with 8.9 points of advantage on the Silver medallist, her teammate Amy Sowash.

“Two Americans on the podium? Phenomenal!” Commented Beyerle, stepping on the podium next Sowash, 26, who secured the Silver medal with a total of 676.4 (586+90.4) points.

Beyerle started the new shooting season as she had finished the previous one: in the lead. The 26-year old American shooter had indeed won the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final held in Munich, last October, and she starts the 2011 season by winning Gold at the first Rifle&Pistol World Cup Stage of the year, in Sydney, today.

It was China’s Yi Siling who won the Bronze medal, finishing in third place with a total score of 675.9 (581+94.9) points. The 21-year old air rifle world champion shot with confidence in the wind. Climbing up the scoreboard from the seventh place she had on the start-list after the qualifications, she left behind Germany’s top shooter Barbara Lechner, who closed the match in fourth with 673.8 (582+91.8) points.

Olympic Quota Places to France and Poland

As the first four countries had already filled their Quota Places plan for this event, the two Olympic Quota Places to be assigned in this event went to France and Poland. It was Laurence Brize, 34, who secured the first Quota for France, by finishing in fifth place with 670.5 (581+89.5) points. At the same time, the second Quota went to Poland’s Sylwia Bogacka, a 29-year old two-time Olympian, who closed the match in sixth with 668.9 (582+86.9) points.

The 2010 World Champion shot-off Italy’s Viganò to finish on the highest step of the podium. Olympic Quota Places went to Italy and Germany.

The 2010 World Champion Alberto Fernandez won today’s Trap Men final at the ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney, Australia. The Spanish champion made it to the final with a score of 120 hits, one hit behind the qualification leaders. Then, zeroing in the final, he climbed up the scoreboard by hitting 23 targets. Ending up with a total score of 143 targets, he shot-off 1 to 0 hits Italy’s veteran Viganò to finish upon the highest step of the podium.

Fernandez, 27-year old, coming from a great 2010 season, starts the new shooting year in the best possible way. Winning the last European Championships in Kazan he had finished in the spotlights as one of the best trap shooters of the world. Then, winning the 2010 World Championship in Munich, he had secured an Olympic Quota Place for Spain.

And as Ferndandez had already qualified for the Games, the two Olympic Quota Places awarded today went to the second and third finalists, Italy’s Viganò abd Germany’s Stefan Ruettgeroth.

It was a real surprise for Rodolfo Viganò, a 40-year old Italian shooter who qualified to participate in the 2012 Games by finishing in second on the layouts of the 2000 Olympic range of Sydney. “I competed here at the 2000 Olympics, and this place is magic, for me.” Viganò said right after the final, looking at the venue with a smile on his face.

The Italian shooter finished in second place winning Silver with a total score of 143 (121+22) hits, missing the Gold at the shoot-off. But the colour of the medal did not matter to him, he said. “I still remember each and every target of my Olympic match. I am so glad that I won the Quota here, in Sydney! I don’t care if it’s a Silver, it was important to qualify for London.” Continued the experienced shooter.

“The 2012 Games? I won this quota place by myself, but I don’t know if I will be in the team. My coach Albano Pera will decide who will be in London. Will I go to London? I don’t know.”

The same questions that Stefan Ruettgeroth is asking to himself. The 30-year old German shooter ended up in third place, securing the Bronze and the second Olympic Quota to be assigned today. Entering the final with the highest qualification score, 121 hits, he did not miss his chance. Hitting 21 targets in the final, he landed on the third step of the podium with a total score of 142 clays.

Today’s turned out to be an unlucky match for the home champion, the Dual Olympic gold medallist Michael Diamond, who finished the final fifth with 17 targets and a total of 137, behind the 2004 Olympic Champion Alexey Alipov of Russia, fourth with 141 (119+22) hits, and preceding Portugal’s Jose Manuel Bruno Faria, sixth with 138 hits.

“Missing the first three in a high quality final put my back up against the wall,” Diamond said. “I’m super happy with my qualifying rounds at the moment but have to assess my single barrel final shooting.” Diamond said.

“I’m looking forward to Beijing and hopefully the quota can get won there along with a medal. I’ll have to go back to the drawing board now and stay focused for it.”