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Two protagonists of the 2009 Asian Championship are enlisted between the favourites to climb upon tomorrow’s 10m Air Pistol Women podium. Young athletes comoing from the other four continents are ready to steal the show.

Time for training, this afternoon, at the Singapore Sports School, where the 10m Air Pistol Women event, the second shooting competition of the Youth Olympic Games, will take place tomorrow at 12.00 AM.

Twenty shooters from all the five continents are going to compete in tomorrow’s match, trying to secure the first women YOG medal in shooting events.

Starting with the qualification series at 9 AM, the top 8 competitors will proceed to the ten-shot medal match at 12, when their final scores will be added to the qualification scores to decide the podium placements.

Starting between the favourites: China’s Fang Xue the Silver medal winner of the 2009 Asian Championships of Doha. The Chinese teenager has been gaining confidence throughout the 2010 ISSF shooting season, competing in the ISSF World Cup Series again older athletes in the open category.

Xue will meet again Kim Jang Mi, a skilled Korean shooter who had finished in third place behind her at the last Asian Championship, in Doha, and that has proved to be a competitive finalist more then once, in the last two seasons.

A 17-year old shooter form Italy, Chiara Marini, will try to steal the show to the Asian contenders. The Italian athlete, the top-ranked shooter among tomorrow’s European participants, comes from a seventh place at the last 2010 European Championship in Meraker, and a fair placement in the top-40 at the 2010 ISSF World Championship in all shooting events of Munich.

Hala Abdel Rahman of Egypt, the top competitor of the 2010 African YOG qualification championship, Mariana Nava of Mexico, qualified through the 2010 Confederation of the Americas Championship and Australia’s Emily Esposito (qualified in 2009 through the Oceania Championship) will try to surprise the audience and to find a spot on the first ladies’ shooting podium of the Youth Olympic Games.

The Serbian shooter claimed his first ISSF World Cup Gold. Following him, two first time medallists in this event: Kazakhstan’s Yunusmetov and the Olympic Champion Pang of China.

“The dream came true! I have been looking for this medal for years, since I started shooting, back in 2000!” said Damir Mikec, the Serbian shooter who won today’s 10m Air Pistol Men final at the ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events in Fort Benning, USA.

“I have a new stock since three weeks, it feels good and made me confident, today – said the 26-year old Serbian athlete – during the final, I could see the scores’ monitor. I tried not to look at it, but eventually I noticed that I was in the lead. I was feeling nervous!”

Mikec, shooting since the age of 16, had competed in several ISSS World Cup stages, winning his first ISSF medal just weeks ago, in Beijing, climbing the world ranking up to the fourth place. Walking into today’s final in first spot, with a qualification score of 586 points, he secured the brightest medal with a total score of 687.1 points after scoring 101.1 points throughout the ten-shot final.

“The next World Cup is going to be in Belgrade, my home city. It feels great to walk into your home shooting range with a Gold around your neck. – Said the young shooter – But I shouldn’t forget that the final aim is the World Championship in Munich – continued Mikec, mentioning the 50th ISSF World Championship in all events that will take place between July and August – I am working hard to get one of those 2012 Olympic Quota Places !”

The Olympic Champion of Beijing and current World Champion, China’s Pang Wei, 23, finished on the podium winning Bronze with a total score of 683.8 points. Qualified with 582 points, the Chinese champion fired 101.8 points, today’s highest final score. Incredibly, World’s most titled 10m Air Pistol Men shooter had never been able to grab a medal in ISSF World Cup competitions, in spite of participating in six editions.

Winning the Silver medal, also Kazakhstan’s Rashid Yunusmetov claimed his first ISSF World Cup medal in this event. The 30-year old athlete, an expert 50m Pistol Men competitor, had participated in several 10m Air Pistol World Cup final rounds, but he had never made it to the podium, before. Entering in the final with tied to Mikec 586 points, the Kazakh shooter fired 99.3 points, claiming Silver with 685.3 points.

A world cup first time finalist, Lukas GRUNDER, 19, equalled the Junior World Record, leading the final match and winning his first gold medal in this event.

Beijing’s Olympic Champion Guo Wenjun (CHN) won the 10m Air Pistol women final with a consistent advantage on her followers, preceding her teammate Hu Jun. Bronze went to Poland’s Sagun Lewandowska, who fired the highest score of today’s final.

Minimum visible size of target card: width: 170mm height: 170mm

ISSF Target 10M Air Pistol

ISSF Target 10M Air Pistol

ISSF Target 10M Air Pistol

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