USA’s team keeps on climbing the medal standings of the ISSF World Cup in Acapulco (MEX), the first Shotgun World Cup stage of the year.
After the two medals won at the Double Trap Men final, two days ago, the American team secured a Gold and a Bronze at today’s Skeet Women event thanks to Kimberly Rhode and Amber English.
The four-time Olympic medallist Rhode, 30, started the final match in the lead with 72 hits after the qualifications, tied to Italy’s Diana Bacosi. The two athletes shot neck and neck for the first part of the final round, but when Bacosi missed three precious clays, Rhode did not miss the chance to move ahead in first place.
Shooting solidly, the American top-shooter did not miss a single target during the whole final round, ending up in first place with a total score of 92 hits.
“It hasn’t been easy. My shotgun got stolen a couple of months ago. I got a new one, but of course it took me time to get used at it. – Said Rhode, after the award ceremony - It’s great to be on the highest step of the podium today, these international competitions are really important now, on the path leading to the 2012 Olympic Games.” Added the 2008 Olympic Silver medallist.
Today’s Silver medal was taken by Yu Xiumin, 26-year old, from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese shooter walked into the final round with a qualification score of 71 hits, and climbed up in second place thanks to a perfect final, hitting 25 out of 25 targets. Closing the match with a total score of 96 hits, she tied the second American finalist Amber English, and then outdid her in a shoot-off for Silver 2 to 1 hits. Yu, a 2006 Asian Champion, had won her last ISSF World Cup medal in 2007, in Maribor.
Amber English secured the Bronze medal, joining her teammate Rhode on the podium. The 20-year old shooter had never won an ISSF World Cup medal before, but she had finished in the spotlight at last year’s World Championship in Maribor, where she had won a Junior Silver medal.
A second shoot-off closed the match. Italy’s Diana Bacosi, loosing the podium by missing three targets in the final, faced Sweden’s Nathalie Larsson in a shoot-off for the fourth place, winning it 2 to 1 hits. The third American finalist, the 2005 ISSF World Cup Final winner Haley Dunn, closed the match in sixth place with a total score of 92 hits.
The Skeet Men Final will take place tomorrow afternoon at 2.00 PM Acapulco Time (GMT-6). After the first 75 qualification targets, the two World Record holders, the 2008 Olympic Champion Vincent Hancock and the Olympic Silver medallist Tore Brovold are leading with a tied score of 74 hits. Don’t miss the final match! Follow it at www.issf-sports.org