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“There are no signs of danger in Changwon.” The Organizing Committee of the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Korea said that the competition is on schedule, while the ISSF keeps on monitoring the situation.

The International Shooting Sport Federation is constantly in touch with the organizers of the 2011 ISSF Rifle&Pistol World Cup in Changwon, Korea, monitoring the situation in the area after some athletes expressed their concerns about possible risks connected with the nuclear emergency in Japan.

“We may understand those concerns by some federations, but at the moment there are no signs of danger in Changwon and in Korea” the President of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Bum Sik Chung of the Korea Shooting Federation said to the ISSF.

“Our government is carefully checking any possible signs of radioactive radiation and we are also working in close collaboration with the local government to ensure the safety of our friends visiting Changwon” Mr. Bum Sik Chung added.

The 2011 ISSF World Cup in Korea will take place regularly. The competition will take place between the 7th and the 15th of April at Changwon’s shooting range, where several Rifle & Pistol World Cup stage have been conducted in the past.

However, the ISSF will keep on dialoging with the competition’s organizers, in order to keep the situation monitored.

The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, opened the 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney, awarding the “President’s Button” to the Chairmen of the Organizing Committee, Nick Sullivan.

The 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events kicked-off today at the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney, Australia, where the competition is hosted.

The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, officially opened the second World Cup Stage of the year at today’s opening ceremony, joining representatives of the Organizing Committee and local authorities on the stage.

The President welcomed a record number of 750 shooters that came from 68 different countries to compete in fifteen events. Thirty-four Olympic Quota Places, the qualification card for the next 2012 Games in London, will be awarded to the best competitors, in the next days.

During the ceremony, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña awarded the “President’s Button”, the highest ISSF honour, to the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Nick Sullivan.

The Organizing Committee of the ISSF Shotgun World Cup Stage in Conception, Chile, reassured the ISSF after the earth tremors that were recorded the 12 of February. “Everything is functioning perfectly normally, and the organization of the World Cup event in Concepcion is on schedule.” The President of the World Cup organizing committee, Mr. Eugenio Garbarino of Chile, said to the ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber, today. “The recent sismic activity in Chile has been classified as earth tremors: these movements have been of extremely short duration, lasting only a few seconds and causing no damages…” Mr Garbarino explained. “The weather is fantastic, with clear blue skies over Concepcion, and the shooting ranges are already open for unofficial training!” concluded the President of the Organizing Committee. The first 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Stage will kick off in Conception the 1st of March. There, the best shooters of the world will meet to compete in the five Olympic Shotgun events, trying to secure a pass to the next Games in London.

The first Gold medal of the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final went to Russia’s Kira Klimova, winner of the 10m Air Pistol Women event.

The 10m Air Pistol Women event opened the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final in Rifle and Pistol events in Munich, the conclusive World Cup stage of the 2010 seasons.

This was the first final round to take place with the new warm-up and athletes presentation rules. The athletes performed their preparation, sighting time and warm-up, and then they put their pistol down and turned their faces to the spectators, to be presented by the speakers. The first competition shot followed immediately after.

It was Russia’s Kira Klimova to win the 10m Air Pistol Women title. The 27-year old shooter, qualified thanks to a Silver medal won at this year’s World Cup Stage of Fort Benning (USA), placed in first with a total score of 484,7 points.

Qualified in third with 384 points, the Russian shooter climbed up the scoreboard by marking 100.7 points throughout the final round, ending up on the highest step of the podium with a 0.7 points advantage on the Silver medallist, Belarus’ Viktoria Chaika, second with 484.0 points.

Chaika and Klimova fought throughout the first part match, shooting neck and neck since the first competition shot. It was after the fifth shot that Klimova moved up in the lead, thanks to an excellent 10.5 that lifted her on the highest step of the podium.

This has been “the best season” of Klimova’s sport career. Starting from the ISSF World Cup Stage in Fort Benning, where she claimed two Silver medals, she has been climbing up the world ranking, winning the 25m Pistol Women World Title last August, and closing her extraordinary year with today’s 10m Air Pistol Women World Cup.

France’s Celine Goberville (24-year old) winner of the last World Cup stage of the year in Belgrade, placed in third today, securing the Bronze medal with a total score of 483.3 points. Making it into the final in sixth place with 382 points, the young athlete climbed the scoreboard up to the podium by firing the final’s highest score, 101.3 points.

She was followed by the winner of this year’s World Cup stage held in Fort Benning, Kazakhstan’s Zauresh Baibussinova. Baibussinova had started the final match in the lead, with a qualification score of 387 points and a one-point head start on her followers. Kicking-off the final match with a 9.9 shot, the Kazakh shooter lost her advantage on the followers. But it was the second competition shot that pulled her down to the mid of the scoreboard. Firing a frustrating 8.1, the Kazakh shooter landed indeed in fourth place, where she eventually closed the match with a total score of 482.8 points.

Russia’s Liubov Yaskevich, 25, placed in fifth with 480.5 points, followed by this year’s World Champion, the 23-year old Serbian shooter Zorana Arunoivic, who kicked-off her World Cup Final in fourth place, with 383 points, ending then in sixth with 479.9 points.

The 2004 Olympic Champion of Athens, Olena Kostevych of Ukraine, and Australia’s Lalita Yauhleuskaya, closed the match in seventh and eight place, respectively.

A sudden infection of the conjunctiva kept the Chinese team in Beijing. No Chinese shooters will compete in this World Cup Final.

Chinese shooters cancelled their participation in the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, in spite of having seven shooters qualified to participate in the match.

The team announced the cancellation speaking of “health problem” of their shooters.

“Due to the sudden infection of the conjunctiva by three of our shooters, we feel regretful to cancel the participation of our team to the World Cup Final in Munich” The Chinese Shooting Association communicate to the ISSF

“It is quite a hard decision for us, but we cannot risk going to Munich and compete with other shooters while knowing our shooters carry this virus” The Chinese Shooting Association stated.

The next seven qualified shooters were invited to participate in the World Cup Final taking place in Munich between the 26th and the 29th of October.