Peter SIDI of Hungary shot the 10m Air Rifle Gold medal at the second ISSF world cup stage of the year, winning a close final with a score of 699.5 points (598+101.5). The three times Olympian played an excellent match in the spotlights of the Olympic final hall of the 2008 Games. “Great to be on the podium: I only had a few tenths of advantage on China’s ZHU Quinan. He was just tenths of point far from me, and I could see his scores on his monitor after every shot.” Said Sidi right after the match.
The 30-year old Hungarian shooter had finished out of the top-8 final round at the first World Cup stage, held in Changwon, Korea, last week. By shooting today’s gold, he secured his placed in the top 10 of the world ranking, and re-started this new season with an injection of self confidence “Changwon has been terrible for me: I got there only one day before the competition, and I had no chances to adapt to the time-change. – Explained Sidi – Here it has been different: I was ready, and I made it. My scores where ok, now we are moving to Europe for the next world cups, and I am planning to keep on shooting into finals.”
Silver went to China’s ZHU Qinan with 699.3 (597+102.3), who won 10.7 to 10.4 a shoot-off for the second place against Czech’s Vaclav HAMAN.
Zhu had started the match in second place after the qualification, just one point behind Sidi, but did not shot his best round “This place is my nightmare! I don’t know what happens with me,” confessed Zhu while speaking to the Chinese journalists “After the Olympic Games – here Zhu had lost a gold – I am no longer so confident. Maybe it’s this final hall,” continued the Chinese shooter, current number one in the world rank in this event “Before the Games I knew I could make it. But since that Olympic final I only have bad feelings. It’s like a nightmare going on.”
Czech’s Vaclav HAMAN won Bronze by shooting an extreme final of 104.3 points. The 22-year old athlete climbed from the eight place, shooting today’s best score in the final.
Behind him, USA’s Matthew RAWLINGS placed in fifth after shooting-off for three times against Norway’s Ole Magnus BAKKEN. The two shooters had tied with 697.8 points after the last competition shot, then they booth fired 9.8 in the first shoot-off shot, and 10.2 in the second one. With an excellent 10.6 Rawlings won the contest, placing in fifth with 697.8 (595+102.8) +9.8, +10.2, +10.6.
“I actually did not realize how many times I shoot-off. I was too concentrate. – said Rawlings after the match – This is my second final in two weeks, and I feel I am getting more confident after every shot.”
Korea’s KIM Dae Seon finished in seventh place with 697.5 (595+102.5), preceding Germany’s Henri JUNGHAENEL, eighth with 696.7 points (595+101.7).
China did it again. The home team presented a new face, a 21-year old shooter who had never competed before in an international match, and that young shooter won gold preceding titled Olympians.
