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The American athlete shot a total of 780.5 points (584+196.5), finishing in the lead with one tenth of a point of advantage on the following Vijay KUMAR, silver medallist with 780.4 pts ((581+199.4).

“I had memories of the Olympic Games going through my mind” said Sanderson, who had competed in this range at the last Games, struggling during the Olympic final round, and eventually landing in fifth place. He said: “I’ve been replaying the Olympic final and these targets so many times, after the Games, that I still remember them”

“I had so many things going through my head, today” Sanderson concluded “I am happy I was able to win the Gold medal. Next stop: Munich, for the next world cup stage”.

India’s Vijay KUMAR, a 23-year old shooter, 26th in the World Ranking, climbed all the way from the fourth place to win silver with 780.4 points (581+199.4). His score in the final match, 199.4 points, turned out to be the highest of today’s competition.

The Indian athlete had never won an ISSF medal in this event, but Beijing seems to be his favourite range. Here he had indeed shot his best placement, when he had finished in seventh place at the 2008 pre-Olympic world cup.

Bronze was secured by Japan’s Teruyoshi AKIMATA, 37, a long-course shooter who had never entered a world cup final-match before. AKIMATA shot the second highest final score, 198.5 points, climbing from the sixth place he had after the qualifications. The Japanese shooter grabbed his first world-level medal with a total score of 777.5 points (579+198.5).

Russia’s Dmitry BRAYKO finished in fourth place with 776.1 points (581+195.1), followed by Jan-Marcel GOELDEN of Germany, fifth with 774.4 pts (580+194.4) and by Jeorge LLAMES of Spain, sixth with 773.7 pts (581+192.7).

World Cup 2009, 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, Beijing, ISSF, Sanderson, shooting, World Cup

China’s HU Jun won today’s match with 490.5 points (390 +100.5). The pistol shooter had won a silver medal at the 2006 ISSF World Championships of Zagreb and a bronze at that year’s world cup final held in Granada. She had shot her last podium in 2007, when she won the world cup stage in Sydney.

Silver went to today’s youngest finalist Heena SIDHU, 19, from India, who scored the highest final climbing from the fifth place with 486.8 points (quail: 385+ final: 101.8). “I can’t believe it, I can’t really comment on this final!” Said the young Indian shooter, who had never won World Cup medal before.

“I feel numb at the moment!” Heena exclaimed in a smile. “This is my second participation in a world cup. I have been competing in Changwon last week, but I did not shot a great competition there. I was happy to be into the final match, today, but actually I did not expect a medal…”

“It’s amazing to be standing where the games took place” concluded the Indian shooter while speaking at the microphones of the ISSF TV “Now I am planning to come to the world cup stage held in Munich, next May…”

Today’s Bronze went to the Czech champion Lenka MARUSKOVA, 24, third with 485.9 pts (385+100.9). The Czech shooter keeps on securing prestigious placements, after the Bronze she has grabbed at the European Championships of Prague, last February.

Lalita YAUHLEUSKAYA of Australia (on the podium of the 25m pistol women event a couple of days ago), lost the duel against Maruskova and missed today’s award ceremony after firing a frustrating last shot of 8.2 points. She placed in fourth with 483.0 pts (386+97.0).

Belarus’ Viktoria CHAIKA placed in fifth with 482.8 pts (387+95.8); Korea’s LEE Ho Lim, silver medal winner at the previous world cup stage held in Changwon, finished in sixth with 482.6 pts (382+100.6), after squeezing into the eight-shooters final by winning a shoot-off against China’s Xin TONG.

The second Chinese finalist SHENG Jie placed seventh 481.9 pnts (384+97.9), preceding France Celine GOBERVILLE, eighth with 479.0 pts (385+94.0).

World Cup 10m Air Pistol, Beijing, ISSF, World Cup

The Australian Shooter secured gold at today’s 50m Rifle Prone Men events, topping the gold he had won last week while competing in the first leg of the ISSF world cup series held in Changwon, Korea.
“I am very pleased of today’s scores and to have won another gold medal. – said Potent, who shot a great qualification in spite of the severe wind conditions – The wind conditions did not really bother me. It actually doesn’t make much difference to me if I am shooting outside or in an indoor range.”

Warren Potent, 47, is proving to be one of the leading shooters of the world in the rifle prone event. Within the ISSF World Cup Series, he has won three consecutive gold medals (2008 World Cup Final, 2009 World Cup stage Changwon and today’s final). Statistics show a terrific average: starting from the World Cup Stage Sydney in 2007, he has made into 7 different world cup medal matches, winning 4 golds and 2 silvers.

Today’s silver went to France’s Jossellin HENRY, who won his second consecutive silver medal in this event, again behind Potent. The 26-year old France athlete shot 698.8 points (595+103.8), upsetting USA’s Michael MCPHAIL at the last shot.

Mcphail climbed from the seventh place to close the match in third place, winning Bronze with 698.7 points (594+104.7). The American shooter fired the best final, with an average close to 10.5 points per shot, but he missed silver because of one tenth of a point.

Valerian SAUVEPLANE of France finished in fourth place with 698.4 points (595+103.4); USA’s Eric UPTAGRAFFT placed fifth with 697.1 pts (594+103.1); India’s Gagan NARANG placed sixth with 696.6 pts (595+101.6); Olympic 10m Air Rifle Bronze medallist Henri HAKKINEN shot his first final round in the prone event, finishing in seventh place with 696.5 pts (595+101.5).
China’s ZHANG Senmao, who had debuted in the ISSF world cup series in Changwon last week, placed in eighth with 695.6 points (594+101.6).

World Cup 2009, Beijing, ISSF, shooting, World Cup

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.
ZHAO Xu confirmed once more the leadership of the People Republic of China in rifle an pistol Olympic events. The 21-year old athlete, who had never competed within the ISSF frame before, won gold after climbing from the eighth place. To get into the final match, she had to defeat Yuliya BONDAREVA of Kazakhstan in a shoot-off 51.8 to 51.3 points. Then, during the final, she shot an outstanding final score of 207.6 points, overtaking her titled opponents, winning her first medal ever in front of her home supporters.

Behind her, the Australian pistol master Lalita YAUHLEUSKAYA, 45, finished in second, winning Silver 786.1 points (585+201.1).

Bronze went to Belarus’ Viktoria CHAIKA, who lost the leadership and finished the match in third after firing a disappointing last shot of 7.2 points on her last series. She won her first 2009 medal with 785.7 points (585+200.7).

World Cup 2009, 25m Pistol Woman, Beijing, ISSF, shooting, World Cup

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).

World Cup 10m Air Rifle Man, 2009, Beijing, ISSF, Peter SIDI, World Cup