“Finally a gold medal came. I made into five out of six final matches, throughout the last two World Cup stages… I was looking for this medal” Said the young athlete right after the final match, where he upset the 2000 Olympic Champion Rajmond DEBEVEC of Slovenia to climb on the highest step of the podium.
BAKKEN has won two ISSF World Cup medals within a few days. He had placed in third in the 50m Rifle Prone men competition, at the 1st ISSF World Cup Stage held last week in Changwon, Korea, and he surprised everybody by winning today’s gold.
The Norwegian athlete had never participated in world-level competition until two weeks ago. The debuting rifle shooter had shot a few fair placements at the European Championships, in 2007 and 2008, but he had never had a chance to prove his skills in a world arena such as the ISSF World Cup in Olympic events.
“I started shooting Olympic events when I was 16 – said Bakken – but my results peaked in the last two years. It’s great to be on the podium today!” continued the Norwegian athlete.
“Five finals, in three different Olympic rifle events, within 2 weeks… I had never seen something like this!” commented about Bakken’s result Herald Stenvaag, Norway’s six times Olympians.
“London 2012 is in my dream!” said the 20-year old shooter “I want to shoot well in this year World Cup series, and then at the 2010 World Championships. I could not make it for Beijing. London is still far, but that’s my big goal!”
Today’s silver medal went to 2000 Olympic Champion and 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Rajmond Debevec, 46, who finished the final round in second place with 1275.9 points (1180+95.9). After a consistent qualification, the Slovenian champion struggled in the final match, and was overcome by his young opponent.
Debevec had finished in the spotlights at the 2008 Games, held in the same final all where he shot silver today. Today’s podium brought the medal-counter of the Slovenian shooter over 55 World Cup awards, an outstanding results reached throughout more then 30 years of successful activity as international shooter.
Serbia’s Stevan PLETIKOSIC, 37, won today’s Bronze medal with 1271.4 points (1173+98.4). The Serbian shooter defended his qualification’s placement from the assault of the Hungarian shooter Peter SIDI, 30, who climbed up from the eight place coming as close as three tenths of a point to Pletikosic by shooting today’s best final. Sidi finished in fourth with 1271.1 points (1169+102.1).
Alexandre SOKOLOV (RUS) closed in 5th place with 1269.5 pts (1171+98.5); Jinseop HAN (KOR) finished in 6th place with 1269.4 pts (1170+99.4); Denis WEIGART of Germany placed 7th with 1268.3 pts (1170+98.3). The home shooter, China’s ZHANG Lei, finished in eight and last place with 1268.0 pts (1172+96.0).
