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The 2008 10m Air Rifle Women Olympic Champion Emmons of Czech Republic came back to an ISSF World Cup after being away for awhile. Shooting in the lead since the first shot, she won today’s 10m Air Rifle Women final at the ISSF World Cup in Sydney.

The 2008 Olympic Champion of Beijing Katerina Emmons came back competing in an ISSF World Cup after having her daughter Julia, and she came back in the best possible way, by winning the 10m Air Rifle Women Gold medal. Making into the final with an outstanding qualification score of 399 points (one point far from the World Record she already holds), Emmons claimed Gold by shooting the highest final of the day (104.1 points), ending up on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 503.1 points.

Competing in front of a crowded final hall, at the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney, the Czech Champion stepped on the podium holding on her baby daughter Julia, and received her first ISSF World Cup Gold medal since 2008.

Malaysia’s first time medallist, Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi, secured Silver by climbing the scoreboard all the way up from the eighth place. The 27-year old athlete had squeezed into the final round passing through a shoot-off, with a qualification score of 396 hits. Then, her final score of 103.8 points landed her in second place, to receive the first ISSF medal of her sport career , with a total of 499.8 points.

Also qualified for today’s final through a shoot-off with a score of 396 points, USA’s Olympic Finalist of Beijing Jamie Beyerle secured Bronze with a total score of 499.6 points. Shooting solidly, she scored 103.6 points throughout the final match, finishing just two tenths of a point far from the Silver medallist.

The 2008 and 2009 World Cup Final winner Wu Liuxi of China, currently ranked third in the World, did not make it to the podium, today. The 25-year old athlete ended up in fourth place with 499.2 points, missing the medals by a few determinant tenths. She was followed by Iran’s first time finalist Mahlagha Jambozorg, 18, who closed the round in fifth place after outdoing China’s Liu Bo in a shoot-off by 10.0 to 8.9 points.

The two teammates Lee Kyerim and Gu Sura of Korea, both competing in an ISSF international final for the first time, placed in seventh a and eighth place with 497.5 and 497.0 points, respectively.

Gold to the 21-year old Chinese ace, Silver to India’s Sanjeev Rajput, followed in fourth and seventh place by his teammates Narang and Padinchare Thermadathil. Bronze to Austria’s Knoegler.

The 21-year old Chinese shooter Cao Yifei won the first final of the 2010 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Sydney. The young athlete led the match starting from the qualifications, and never jeopardized his chances of victory. Walking into the final match with the highest qualification score of 596 points, Cao scored a total of 102.8 points during the final, securing the first Gold medal of his international career with a total score of 698.8 points.

In spite of his young age, the Chinese shooter had already climbed ISSF podiums in 2008 and 2009, when he had won two Silver medals in Milan and Changwon, climbing the world ranking up to the fifth place. In the next months he will probably have to face his teammate Zhu Qinan, one of the best Air Rifle shooter of the World. The two will have to duel on the way to the 50th ISSF World Championship, where the first Olympic Quotas for London will be awarded to the best performers, next August.

The Silver medal went to India’s Sanjeev Rajput, a 29-year old shooter who had never finished on an ISSF podium before.  “I felt like I was competing in India, having two teammates next to me!” exclaimed the Silver medallist. He had in fact made it into the final together with his teammates Gagan Narang and Raghunath Padinchare Thermadathil in fifth place. Qualified with 594 points, he climbed up the scoreboard to the second place by shooting today’s highest final score, 103.9 points.

The World Record holder Gagan Narang, also from India, was left in fourth with a total score of 696.8 points. After starting in eighth place, with the lower qualification score, the Indian ace climbed up the scoreboard by firing 102.8 points, finishing just one tenth of a point far from the podium “I am working on my equipment, there is still a 15% to be tuned up to reach the best conditions” Said Narang after the match “This World Cup came early in the season. We closed the 2009 in December, with the Asian Championship in Doha, and we started preparing the Commonwealth Championship quite early, this year. There has not bee that much time to rest in between.”

“The most important competition of the year is the ISSF World Championship in Munich – Continued Narang – The first Olympic Quota Places fro London are going to be awarded there. I am going to try to peak for that match.”

Bronze went to the 30-year old Austrian finalist Mario Knoegler, 30, who placed in third with a total score of 696.9 points, while the 2009 Shooter of the Year Peter Sidi of Hungary landed in fifth place with 696.7 points.

The first ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup of the year kicked-off in Sydney, Australia, today. Shooters from all around the world will compete here right to the 28th of March.

The 2010 ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events kicked-off today in Sydney, Australia, where more than 200 shooters will compete from the 21^st to the 28^th of March.

“I welcome the shooters to the first ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage of the year in behalf of the International Shooting Sport Federation” said the ISSF Technical Delegate for this event, Mr Woo Jae Lee from Korea, during the opening ceremony.

Mr Peter Sharp of the Australian Sport Commission, and the President of the Organizing Committee, Mr Nick Sullivan, welcomed the shooters to the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney, where the athletes will compete in the ten Olympic events of Rifle and Pistol Shooting. A symbolic shot of cannon was then fired, and the competition officially opened.

Here, athletes coming from more than 25 countries will have a chance to obtain their Minimum Qualification Scores, a fundamental step on the path leading to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

20.03-28.03.2010

The ISSF President Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña officially closed the 2010 ISSF World Cup stage in Acapulco. USA finished atop the medal standings, followed by the People’s Republic of China.

The Skeet Men Final won by Norway’s Tore Brovold closed the first 2010 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Stage held Mexico for the first time after twenty years.

The ISSF President Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, addressed a speech to the participants and to the authorities, officially closing the competition.

“I am really satisfied of this World Cup in Acapulco, this city is beautiful, and the Mexican shooting Federation did a great job for the organization of the competition – Said the President - We have to thanks all the authorities of the city of Acapulco and of the Guerrero State, which have contributed to the success of this event. “

“This World Cup has been a success. – Continued Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, standing on the stage along with Mr. Jorge Peña, the President of the Organizing Committee – Scores have been extremely high, fantastic! This shooting range is very good, and the all staff worked very well here.  It has been a long time since the last ISSF competition in Mexico, but I wish we would be able to come here again. Thank you all! – Concluded the President.

USA’s team ruled Acapulco’s medal standings

The United States of America placed in first in the overall medal standing of the first 2010 ISSF Shotgun World Cup stage. With two Gold, two Silver and three Bronze medals the American team finished in first place with a total of seven medals. The People’s Republic of China followed in second place, with one Gold and one Silver medal. India and Norway, thanks to the Gold medals won in Trap Men and Skeet Men respectively, tied in third place.

Next rendezvous: Sydney!

The next appointment with the ISSF World Cup Series is set for the 20th of March, when the first Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage will kick-off at the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney (AUS). Shotgun shooters will be competing again next April, at the ISSF World Cup in all events that will be held in Beijing starting from the 16^th.