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Claiming today’s 10m Air Pistol Women Bronze, the Chinese shooter won her third, consecutive ISSF World Cup Medal in this event. Kazakhstan’s Baibussinova grabbed the first Gold of her shooting career, followed by the first time finalist Klimova of Russia.

The 2008 Olympic Champion of Beijing, China’s Guo Wenjun, won her third consecutive 10m Air Pistol Women World Cup medal, securing Bronze at the ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events in Fort Benning, USA, today.

The 25-year old Chinese champion, who had finished on the podium of the first 2010 World Cup Stage in Sydney and then won the last World Cup Stage in Beijing, secured today’s Bronze with a total score of 486.0 points, confirming to be one of the best pistol shooters of the world once again.

Guo, who entered the final in first place with a qualification score of 387 points, did not shoot at her best during the medal match. Struggling in the central part of the match, the Chinese athlete shot more then once in the ninth ring, dropping down in the placements, but eventually landed in third place, claiming her third ISSF medal of the 2010 season.

Kazakhstan’s Zauresh Baibussinova took advantage of Guo’s defiance. The Kazakhstan shooter had entered the match tied to Guo, with a qualification score of 387 points, and shooting solidly during the final she moved up in the lead right after the third shot. Scoring 101.1 points during the medal match, the 39-year old athlete eventually finished on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 488.1 points. Baibussinova, competing since 1985, had never won an ISSF World Cup medal, before.

Silver was taken by Russia’s Kira Klimova, competing in the first ISSF World Cup final round of her career. The 27-year old Russian athlete shot today’s highest final score, adding 101.4 points to her qualification score of 386 points to claim Silver with a total score of 487.4 points.

The 2004 Olympic Champion and 2008 Olympic Silver medallist Zhu Qinan of China won today’s 10m Air Rifle Men event, the first final round of the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events in Fort Benning.

“This has been my best final since the 2004 Olympics!” exclaimed the 2004 Olympic Champion Zhu Qinan of China, right after the last shot of today’s 10m Air Rifle Men final at the ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol events in Fort Benning, USA.

The 25-year old Chinese shooter, currently ranked first in the world in this event, led the competition since the qualifications. Making it into the final match with the top qualification score of 599 points (just one point shy of tying the world record), Zhu shot 104.1 points throughout the ten final shot. Finishing in first place with a total score of 703.1 points, he secured his tenth ISSF World Cup Gold medal.

“I had been a little unlucky in Beijing, a few weeks ago” said Zhu, who had placed in second at the last ISSF World Cup Stage held on the lines of the 2008 Olympic venues, last April. In that occasion, he missed the gold by a narrow margin of 0.1 points “It is not only that I missed Gold for one tenth of a point… I wasn’t satisfied of my shooting!”

“After that World Cup in Beijing I have been working on a new training schedule, and it paid off. – Kept on explaining the Chinese champion “I really feel that today’s has been my best final since a few years!”

“I want to be the World Champion, now. Nothing less!” continued Zhu, mentioning the 50th ISSF World Championship in all events, which will take place in Munich between July and August, this year. “The first quota places for the 2012 Olympics will be awarded there, but my final goal is to become World Champion!” concluded the Chinese shooter, who had finished in third at the lat ISSF World Championship edition, in Zagreb, in 2006.

The Chinese team also celebrated the Silver medal won by Zhu’s teammate Wang Tao, competing in his second ISSF World Cup event, today. The 27-year old shooter finished in second place claiming Silver with a total score of 701.2 points (597+104.2), climbing from the fifth place by shooting today’s highest final score.

“I knew I was doing well, and that I was climbing up– said Wang, wearing his first ISSF medal – but I did not expect to finish on the podium. It is a great honour for me to step on this podium next to my teammate Zhu Qinan, our best shooter!”

Bronze went to Russia’s Serguei Kruglov, 25, the 2010 European Champion of Meraker. The Russian shooter, starting off the final in third place with 597 points, shot 103.9 points throughout the ten-shot final, overtaking his teammate Prikhodtchenko to finish on the third step of the podium with a total score of 700.9 points.

400 shooters will compete in the third step of this year’s Rifle and Pistol World Cup Series which started-off at the international shooting range of Fort Benning, Gerogia, USA.

Following the first two steps of Sydney and Beijing, the ISSF World Cup Series in Rifle and Pistol events moved to USA, where about 400 shooters coming from 52 countries came to compete in the ten Olympic events of Rifle and Pistol shooting at the International Shooting Range of Fort Benning, Georgia.

The official start to the competition was given at the opening ceremony held at the new Ft. Benning’s Infantry Musueum, where athletes’ delegations had a chance to meet the organizers and the official of the World Cup event.

Lindsay Brooke, the Deputy Chief of the 2010 World Cup Organizing Committee, started off the ceremony by welcoming the athletes: “We are grateful for such strong participation this year and we look forward to providing you with the best possible experience here!” she said, leaving then the stage to Mr. Robert Mitchell, USA Shooting Executive Director and member of the ISSF Executive Committee, and to Mr. Gary Anderson, the ISSF Vice President and President of USA Shooting, who addressed a welcome peech to athletes and local authorities.

“On behalf of the ISSF and USA Shooting, I’d like to welcome the best rifle and pistol shooters of the world. – said Mr. Anderson – Welcome to USA and to the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning!”

“We are honoured to organize this World Cup and to once agaig bring together the worldwide shooting sport family!” concluded Mr. Anderson, before declaring the competition officially opened.

FIRST MEDALS:

The 10m Air Rifle Men and the 10m Air Pistol Women, the first two medal matches of this ISSF World Cup Stage, will take place today, May the 24th, at 12.00 and 15.30 respectively (GMT-5).

The third leg of this year’s ISSF Shotgun World Cup Series takes place in Dorset (UK). There, more than 350 athletes coming from all over the world will competed in the Olympic Shotgun events of Trap, Double Trap and Skeet.

About 360 athletes coming from 46 nations met in in Dorset (UK), to compete in the third leg of the 2010 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Series taking place from May 11^th through May 20^th. The first two ISSF Shotgun World Cup Stages of the season took place in Acapulco (MEX) and Beijing (CHN) in March and April, respectively.

Trap, Skeet and Double Trap competitions are taking place at the Southern Counties Shooting Ground, founded in 1959, which is now one of the largest shooting venues of the country. It is the first time that UK has held an ISSF Shotgun World Cup.

“It has been three years in the planning and after a lot of hard work it’s just fantastic to finally welcome the world’s best shooters to Dorset – said the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Peter Underhill – When you consider the number of shooters, and countries, it’s a real coup and massive honour to stage this event, which mirrors the Olympic shooting program. We are not going to miss the opportunity to make it memorable!”