Archerfish.org

2004 Olympic Champ Zhu Qinan (CHN) secured the Gold medal, 2008 Olympic Champ Bindra (IND) won a Quota Place coming back to an ISSF World Cup final match. Olympic Quotas also went to Bulgaria’s Rizov and to Germany’s Tino Mohaupt

Two Chinese flags on the podium

The 2004 Olympic Champion and 2008 Olympic Silver medallist, China’s Zhu Qinan, won today’s 10-meter Air Rifle Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Rifle & Pistol World Cup held at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich, Germany.

The Chinese top shooter made it to the final in the lead with a qualification score of 599 points, and since the first shots gained tenths on his followers, securing the lead atop of the final’s ranking.

Leading the final with more than one point of advantage throughout the first part of the round, Zhu jeopardized his match as he scored a frustrating 9.6 on his seventh final shot, reducing his advantage to only 0.5 points.

Zeroing in, the Chinese champion came back in the 10s, closing the final in first place with a total score of 703.0 point, winning the 13th ISSF World Cup gold medal, the third this year.

The second Chinese finalist Wang Tao, 28, coming from two World Cup bronze medals won in Sydney and Changwon, did not miss his chance, today. Qualified in fourth place with 598, just one point behind his teammate Zhu, he zeroed in and climbed up the scoreboard overtaking his opponents. Scoring 103.5 points in the final, he eventually finished in second place securing the Silver medal with a total score of 701.5 points.

Fighting for Bronze

Slovakia’s Josef Gonci, 37, a two-time “ISSF Shooter of the Year” in1998 and 1999 and one of the most experienced rifle shooters competing in the ISSF World Cup Series, walked into the medal round with 599 points, tied to China’s Zhu.

Starting his final match with two shots in the ninth ring, the Slovakian finalists dropped back in third place, and had to fight against Bulgaria’s Rizov and Hungary’s Peter Sidi to secure the Bronze medal.

Scoring 100.8 points throughout the final, the Gonci made it to the third step of the podium with a total score of 699.8 points, with only 0.5 points of advantage on his followers.

Anton Rizov, an up-and-coming shooter from Bulgaria competing for the first time in World Cup final round, entered the final match in third place with 598 points, and eventually finished in fourth place five tenths behind Gonci, with a total of 699.3 points. The 23-year old athlete, whose previous best placement had been a junior Bronze medal at the 2007 European Championship, also secured an Olympic Quota Place for his country.

With 597 qualification points, Hungary’s sharpshooter Peter SIdi had made it to the final in fifth place, where he also closed his final with a total score of 698.9 points. The 32-year old shooter, who had won a World Championship Silver medal here in Munich last year, had won a World Cup Gold medal at the second WC Stage of the year, in Changwon, Korea.

He was followed by Norway’s Are Hansen, 29, coming from a fourth place in Sidney and a sixth place in Fort Benning, this year. The Norwegian athlete landed in sixth place, after qualifying for the match with 596 points and then scoring 102.4 points throughout the ten-shot final. Three tenths behind him, with 698.1 total points, Peter Hellenbrand of The Nederland, 25, closed his third world cup final round this year in seventh place.

Olympic Champion Bindra qualifies for the 2012 Games

Passing through a shoot-off, India’s reigning Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra made it to the final with a qualification score of 596 points + 52.6 points in the shoot-off. Starting off his final from the seventh place, he was awarded an Olympic Quota Place, securing a qualification spot for India at the next 2012 Olympic Games.

Starting off with two disappointing shots of 9.3 and 9.8 points, the Indian rifle master slid down in the eighth place. Fighting against Hansend and Hellenbrand, he scored 100.7 points in the final, eventually finishing in eighth place with a total score of 696.7 points.

“It has been a long way through;” The Indian ace said right after the match “I am happy that I finally reached this Olympic Quota Place to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games.”

“I will have to go through trials to make it to the Olympic team, I believe.” He added with a smile on his face “Now that I have a Quota, life seems easier.”

Bindra, 28, is currently ranked 31 in the ISSF world ranking for this event. After victory at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he had never made it to an ISSF final match again, finishing in 25^th place at the 2010 ISSF World Championship held here in Munich.

Russia’s Sokolov won his second World Cup Final title, stealing the show of the 2010 World Champion Campriani. Sidi third, while the two Indian Narang and Rajput had to shoot-off in fourth place.

Denis Sokolov or the Russian Federation won the 10m Air Rifle Men final at the ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, claiming his second World Cup title five year after his victory at the 2005 ISSF World Cup Final

The 27-year old Russian shooter, a member of the CSKA team, placed in first by shooting 104.5 points throughout the final, after qualifying in the lead with a score of 597 points with a one-point head start on the 2010 World Champion Campriani of Italy.

Thanks to two consecutive 10.8-shot fired on his seventh and eighth competition shots, the Russian athlete archived his victory by putting two points of advantage between himself and his followers, and ended up on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 701.5 points.

Sokolov, a World Record holder ranked fifth in the World, had finished in the spotlights at the beginning of the season, when he secured a Bronze medal at the European Championship held in Meraker. Then, the rifle shooter qualified to compete in this year’s ISSF World Cup Final by winning Beijing’s World Cup Stage and by finishing on the podium of the Belgrade’s Stage, this year.

Campriani’s perfect ninth shot of 10.9 points was not enough to catch up Sokolov. The 2010 World Champion Niccolò Campriani of Italy, world’s top ranked shooter, ended up in second place with a total score of 698.7 points. The Italian shooter, 22-year old, had started the match with a qualification score of 596 hits, and his final score of 102.7 points could not stand Sokolov’s outstanding 104.5-point final.

The Bronze medal went to Hungary’s Peter Sidi, 32-year old. The Hungarian shooter, second at the ISSF World Championship held here last August, turned out to be 100% satisfied about his performance. Qualified with 595 points, he scored 103.3 points throughout the final, finishing in third with a total of 698.3 points.

“I made no mistakes, in this final. We are all tired, at this point of the season, and it’s easy to miss a medal in these conditions” Sidi said.

“I have been preparing myself for the 50m Rifle Three Position event! See you there in two days!” concluded Sidi, wearing the Bronze.

The 10m Air Rifle match was closed by a shoot-off between the two Indian teammates Gagan Narang (27) and Sanjeev Rajput (29). The two Indian shooters fought right to the end to find a spot on the podium, before being overtaken by Sidi, eventually finishing in ending up tied in fourth with a total score of 697.8 points. It was then Narang who secured the fourth place by firing a 10.1 to Rajput 9.7 shot, in spite of a problem with the cheek plate of his stock.

In spite of a disappointing first shot, the 17-year old talent climbed back in the lead to win the first YOG shooting medal, and to dedicate it to his parents.

Gao Ting Jie of China won the first Youth Olympic Gold awarded to shooting, claiming the brightest medal at the 10m Air Rifle Junior Men event with a total score of 694.9 (594+100.9) points.

Qualified in the lead with 594 points, the 17-year old shooter lost ground with a frustrating first shot of 8.9 points, and had to fight right to the last shot to finish atop of the scoreboard and to win his first international Gold medal ever.

Shooting neck and neck with the Belarusian champion Illioa Charheika (who had qualified in second with 593 points), Gao found his winning ace on the last shot, as he fired an great 10.5 that lifted him up to the highest step of the podium.

“I cannot wait to celebrate this medal with my family. I don’t see them since five months, as I have been training and preparing for this match!” said the 17-year old Chinese shooter.

“I am really happy about today’s competition. I have to thank my coach, Wanf Yify, and his words of wisdom. I was so nervous, before the match, but he helped me to calm down and to focus on the target!” continued Gao

“I will try to qualify for the 2012 Games, now – added the young winner, who won an ISSF World Cup Silver medal in the open event in Belgrade this year – The first test? The next Asian Games. I will try to beat  my teammate Zhu Qinan (the 2004 Olympic Champion) to make it to the team!”

Gao’s coach, the 1992 and 2004 Olympic Champion Wang Yifu, also remembered for winning a Silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Men event at the 1996 Games in spite of fainting during the final round, hardly contained his joy.

“The Youth Olympic Games is an exciting formula. It’s a great chance for our young athletes, and a great show for the youth of the world. This is a great way to promote the sport!” Wang said.

“I am just sorry that they invented the Youth Olympic Games only now – continued a 49-year old smiling Wang Yifu – I would definitely win the Youth title, if the YOG were existing in my days!”

Today’s Silver medal went to Belarus’ Illia Charheika, 17-year old, the 2010 Junior European Champion. The young shooter, who had already met Gao during this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Belgrade, finishing then in 11^th place, did not make it by 0.8 points, less then 8 millimetres on a 10m Air Rifle targtet.

Charheika ended up with a total score of 694.1 (593+101.1) points, after firing a disappointing last shot of 9.4 points.

“I am on the podium of the Youth Olympic Games! – exclaimed the shooter, wearing the Silver – I would never imagine it, when I started shooting at the age of 11 year!”

“I am after an Olympic Qualification for London 2012, now!” continued Charheika “I will take part in next year’s ISSF World Cup series, trying to secure an Olympic Quota Place.”

Bronze went to one of the favourites, Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish, the 17-year old athlete who had finished in the spotlights by claiming two Junior medals (a Silver and a Bronze) at the 2010 ISSF World Championship in Munich, last July. Kulish finished in third place with a total score of 692.8 (591+101.8) points, climbing on the third step of the podium 1.3 points far form the Silver medallist Charheika.

Korea’s Kin Yong fired today’s highest final score, 102.6 points, but that was not enough to grab a medal. The Korean shooter had started the match with a qualification score of 590 points, and his total score of 692.6 points placed him in fifth.

Following him, Germany’s Alexander Thomas closed in fifth place with 690.3 (588+102.3) points, while the Mexican finalist Erick Arzate Marchan ended up in sixth with (587+101.4) points.

The Italian finalist Simon Weithaler, who has started the match in fourth place and climbed in third place after the first final shot, suffered the pressure of the round, shooting more than once in the ninth ring, and eventually dropping down in seventh place.

“Shooting is all about mind and mental concentration. I did not make it. But still I am satisfied about my overall result. To be in an Olympic final is a good starting point!” the Italian athlete said, looking at his final score: 687.8 (590+97.8) points.

India’s Navdeep Singh Rathore, who had squeezed into the final round with the lower qualification score of 587 points, closed the match in eighth and last place, with a total score of 685.5 points, after scoring 98.5 points throughout the final.

Check the complete results on the YOG website!

Denis Sokolov (RUS) won the 10m Air Rifle Men event, leaving Zhu Qinan (CHN) just one tenth behind him. Sokolov had never won a World Cup Gold before. Zhu, the world’s best Air Rifle shooter, has never won a Gold on his home range.

The 10m Air Rifle Men events kept the spectators’ breath at the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events in Beijing, today. The home shooter, 2004 Olympic Champion Zhu Qinan, duelled right to the last shot against the 27-year old Russian sharpshooter Denis Sokolov, eventually finishing in second place by a narrow 0.1 difference.

Zhu Qinan, currently ranked first in the World Ranking in this event, walked into the match in first place, winning the applause of the home spectators with the highest qualification score of 598 points, and kept on shooting in the lead right to the last shot, when the young Russian shooter Sokolov stole the show, overtaking him by 0.1 points to finish on the highest step of the podium.

Zhu, who scored 103.2 points during the final round, looked incredulous at the scoreboard right after the tenth competition shot. His remarkable total score of 701.2 points turned out to be one tenth shy to beat Russia’s Sokolov, a 27-year old shooter ranked 54^th in the World, who ended up in first place thanks to an extreme final score of 104.3 points putting him in the lead with a total of 701.3 points.

The shooting range of Beijing confirms to be Zhu’s “nightmare”, as the Chinese shooter called it after the 2009 World Cup held here. The two-time Olympic medallist, who has won nine World Cup Golds in the 10m Air Rifle Men event all around the world, has never been able to climb up on the podium of his home range, his bad luck starting at the 2008 Games, when he closed the Olympic final in second place by a few tenths.

Sokolov, on the other hand, smiled to the audience as he found out he was the winner. He had never won an ISSF World Cup Stage Gold medal before, even if he had finished in the spotlights before, winning an odd-defying title at the 2005 World Cup Final held in Munich.

The Bronze medal went to the 2008 World Cup Final winner and World Record holder Gagan Narang, 26, who closed in third place with a total score of 700.3 points after qualifying for the match with 597 points. He had been shooting also in the first final of the season, in Sydney, last March. There, he had finished in fourth place, just a few tenths far from the podium.

Narang was followed in fourth by the 2009 Shooter of the Year Peter Sidi, 31, coming from a Bronze medal won in the 50m Rifle Three Position Men event at the first World Cup of the year in Sydney. Wang Tao of China, 27, a first time finalist, climbed all the way up from the eighth qualification spot and closed the round in fifth place with a total score of 699.8 points, followed by the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Henri Hakkinen, sixth with 699.4 points.

USA’s Matthew Rawlings and Russia’s Artem Khadjibekov shot-off for the seventh and eighth place, finishing with 699.1+10.0 and 699.1+9.4 points, respectively.