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USA’s Olympic multi-medallist won the Skeet Women event with 98 hits, after equalling the World Record of 74 hits out of 75 targets during the qualifications. Two Chinese shooters followed her in second and third place, winning the applauses of the home crowd.

The two-time Olympic Champion Kimberly Rhode of the USA won today’s Skeet Women final at the ISSF World Cup in all events in Beijing, equalling the World Record of 74 hits out of 75 targets during the qualifications. Rhode had won an Olympic Silver medal here in Beijing two years ago, during the 2008 Games.

The 30-year old American shooter made it into today’s final match with the highest qualification score, 74 hits, equalling the World Record and walking into the match with a two-target head start on her followers. Hitting 24 out of 25 targets throughout the final round, she ended up in first place with a total score of 98 hits, grabbing her second World Cup Gold medal of the year. Rhode had indeed finished on the highest step of the podium also at the first World Cup Stage of the season, in Acapulco (MEX), at the beginning of March.

Chiense spectators celebrated the home shooters Shi Hong Yan and Wei Ning, finishing in second and third place, respectively.

37-year old Shi, who had won her last ISSF medal at the 2006 World Cup in Quingyuan City, entered into the final match with a qualification score of 72 hits, finishing then on the podium with a total score of 96 hits after dropping one target on the third station.

The 2004 Olympic Silver medallist Wei Ning, 27, had also qualified for the final round with 72 hits. Dropping four targets throughout the final round, she ended up in third place tied to Russia’s Svetlana Demina with a final score of 93 hits. In the following shoot-off, Wei outdid Demina 2 to 1 hits, winning her twelve ISSF World Cup medal since 2001.

Svetlana Demina, celebrating her birthday on the day of the final, finished in fourth place with a total score of 93+1 hits, followed by the third Chinese finalist Yu Xiumin with 92 hits and by the second-time finalist Monika Zemkova of Slovakia with 89 hits.

The ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña opened the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events in Beijing, welcoming the shooters to the 2008 Olympic venues during today’s opening ceremony. The ISSF is back on the 2008 Olympic venues of Beijing, were the 2010 World Cup Stage in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events is held from the 16th through the 25th of March. The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, officially opened the competition today, welcoming more than 600 shooters from all around the world. “It is with pleasure that we come back to this beautiful range, constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games, which is one of the best shooting venues of the World. – Said the President, speaking at the opening ceremony – I would like to thanks our host, the Chinese shooting Federation, and wish you all the best success in this competition!” The President of the Organizing Committee, and Vice-President of the Chinese Shooting Association, Mr. Zhang Liang, welcomed the participants to Beijing, inviting the President of the Chinese Shooting Federation Mr. Feng Jianzhong, to officially declare the competition opened. The Opening Ceremony then continued with a traditional Chinese drama performed by dancers, actors and acrobats of the China National Peking Opera Company. The ISSF World Cup in all events in Beijing is the third World Cup Stage of the year, following the World Cup in Shotgun events in Acapulco and the World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events in Sydney. Beijing’s is a fundamental step on the path leading to the 50th ISSF World Championship in all events that will take place in Munich between July and August, this year. There, the first Quota Places for the 2012 Olympic Games of London will be distributed to the best performers.

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).

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).