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Final 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men

Russia's Klimov shot 202.1 points to win the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men final

50th ISSF World Championship All Events · Munich, GER

Russia's Alexei Klimov is the new Rapid Fire Pistol World Champion. The world record holder ended up on world's highest podium after four great years atop of the international rankings.

Alexei Klimov finally claimed that 25m Rapid Fire Pistol world title that he had been chasing for years. The 34-year old Russian shooter won today’s final round with a total score of 787.1 points (and a great score of 202.1 points throughout the four-series final) securing both the Gold medal and an Olympic Quota place, a qualification pass for the next 2012 London Olympic Games.  

Klimov, ranked eighth in the world, was one of the favourites to finish upon today’s podium. On his way to this world championship, the Russian athlete had indeed won three World Cup Final editions, in 2006, 2008 and 2009, also setting the current world record of 591 points. Always there, always in the final between the best shooters of the world, Klimov had missed the title more then once in the past. Like in 2002, when he ended up in 25th place, or in 2006, in Zagreb, where he had finished in 17th place.

“The ISSF World Championship is a difficult competition. I did not expect to win! I feel great for winning this title and an Olympic Qualification spot along with it!” said Klimov after the final.

“The light made it even more difficult. I am wearing glasses and there was a fastidious reflection. Therefore I called my coach and I asked him to pass me a cap, right before the first competition series” explained Klimov, who had climbed the spectators’ fence to reach his coach just seconds before the match started.

Two Chinese shooters finished in second and third place behind him, claiming the Silver and the Bronze, as well as the last two Olympic Quota Places to be awarded in this match.

Zhang Jian, who had started the final round in first place with the highest qualification score, eventually secured the Silver medal and the second Quota. The 24-year old Chinese shooter, who had finished in the spotlight at this year’s World Cup in Sydney by winning a Silver medal, closed today’s competition in second place with a total score of 785.6 points (587 points scored during the qualifications, and 198.6 points during the final).

The Rapid Fire Pistol up-and-coming shooting-start of the year, 20-year old Li Yuehong, finished in third place and secured an Olympic Quota Place with 782.1 (584+198.1) points. The young shooter had won two ISSF world cup stages, in Beijing and Sydney, and climbed the world ranking up to the first place, this year.

“These young Chinese shooters are extremely strong – commented the new world champion Klimov, while looking at their scores – But I am glad to compete against them. Duelling against champions makes the game even more interesting!”

Russia’s Leonid Ekimov, 22, closed in fourth place with 780.8 points, missing the podium and the Olympic Qualification by 1.3 points. The home hero, Germany’s Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing Christian Reitz, 23, followed him in fifth place with a total of 780.6 points, while Czech Republic’s Martin Strnad ended up in last with 780.3 points. 

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners