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The 2010 European Champion Romanov secured the World Championship title, winning his ninth World Championship medal since 2002, confirming to be the strongest running target shooter on the 10-meter distance,

The Russian Running Target start Dmitry Romanov won today’s 10m Running Target Men medal match at the ISSF World Championship in all shooting events held at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich.

Romanov, 23, from Moscow, the current European Champion in this event, made it to the Medal Match with a qualification score of 577 points (289 points scored in the “slow run” qualification series, where the target runs in five seconds, plus 288 points in the “fast run”, where the target runs through the same distance twice as fast, in 2.5 seconds).

Competing in the medal match, the young shooter won the first round against People’s Republic of Korea by 6 to 3 points, proceeding to the Gold match where he then outdid China’s Zhai Yuija 6 to 4 points,  ecuring the brightest medal.

In spite of being one of the younger competitors on the international scene (Romanov just turned 23, and started shooting in 2000), the Russian athlete had already won four World Championship titles, three as a Junior shooter in 2002 and 2006, and one in the open category at the 2009 World Championship held in Heinola (FIN), as well as several European titles (he led both the 10m Running Target events at the last Europeans of Meraker).

China’s Zhai Yuija, 17, finished in second place, securing the Silver medal. After making it to the medal with 576 points, the Chinese shooter won the first eliminatory round outdoing Finland’s Holmberg, loosing then the Gold round against Romanov. Zhai, today’s youngest competitor, had never participated in an international competition, before.

The Bronze went to the most expert finalist, Krister Holmberg, 38-year old, from Inkoo, Finland, who had finished on the podium also during the 2008 and 2009 Running Target World Championship. Qualified with 577 points, the Finnish shooter won the Bronze match with ease, outdoing Pak Myong Won of the People’s Republic of Korea 6 to 2 points.

Azarenko won his second Gold, and his team set a new Junior World Record. The 18-year old Russian shooter is now enlisted between the favourites of the 50 meter event.

Mikhail AZARENKO of Russia, won his second consecutive Gold medal at the 2009 ISSF Running Target World Championship in Heinola. The 18-year old shooter won today’s 10m Running Target Men Junior events with 578 points, leaving his opponents seven points behind him.

AZARENKO had won also yesterday’s 10m Running Target Mixed Men competition. The young athlete had walked into this World Championship as one of the favourite junior shooters, after winning two Gold at the 2008 RT World Championship in Plzen and two Gold medals at the 2009 European Championship in Osijek. The Russian champion is also one of the favourite of the 50 meters event, which will take place the 28th and the 29th of August.

The title defender finished in second.

Silver went to the title defender, the winner of last year’s ISSF World Championship in Plzen, Laszlo BOROS of Hungary. The 19-year old shooter finished in second with a total of 571 points, after shooting a Slow Run of 287 points and a Fast Run of 284 points. Climbing the scoreboard from the fourth position, BOROS overtook Russia’s Alexander NUMENKO, 18, who won Bronze (his first international medal) with a total of 563 points.

Russia shot Team Gold with a new World Record.

Placing two athletes on the podium, the Russian Federation also gained the Team Gold medal with an overall record score. Thanks to Mikhail AZARENKO, Alexander NUMENKO and Yuri DOVGAL (fourth in the individual competition), the Russian team totalized a Golden score of 1702 points, setting a new Junior World Record that shattered the previous record of 1698 points set by the Czech team in 2003.

Finland made it to the Team Podium.

The home team, Finland, made it to the Team Podium of the 10m Running Target Men Junior competition, winning Silver thanks to 1165 points scored by Marten WESTERLUND, Sami HEIKKILA and Tomi-Pekka HEIKKILA. This was the second medal won by the team, following yesterday’s 10m Running Target Mixed Men Junior Silver.

Ukraine secured today’s Team Bronze medal, scoring 1660 points with Igor MATSKEVYCH, Oleg SALAMAKHA and Lev ZAPOTICHNYY.

Results:

Check the results of the 10m Running Target Men Junior event.