Ekimov climbed the scoreboard to win the 10m Air Pistol final

Russia’s Leonid Ekimov won today’s 10m Air Pistol Men event at the 2011 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Fort Benning, GA, USA, securing the first Gold for Russia in this competition.

The 23-year old shooter, raked 11th in the world in this event, finished on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 689.2 points. Entering the final match in fourth place, with a qualification score of 585 points – two points far from the first place – he climbed up the scoreboard by marking 104.2 points in the final.

Today’s was the first World Cup Gold won by Ekimoiv in this event, this year. The young Russian shooter had finished fourth at the previous world cup stage in Changwon.

Joao Costa, a 46-year old athlete from Portugal, placed in second securing the Silver medal with a total of 687.8 points. Costa, an expert shooter who has participated in more than 30 ISSF World Cup Stages, had started the final match in the lead, with the highest qualification score, 587 points, and two points of advantage on his followers. Then, marking 100.8 points throughout the final, he was overtaken by an unbeatable Ekimov.

It was an home shooter, USA’s Brian Beaman, the 2010 Continental American Champion, who secured the Bronze medal, bringing the US flag upon today’s podium with an overall score of 686.6 (586+100.6) points.

Three Olympic Quota Places had to be assigned, today. The first Olympic Quota was awarded to Kai Jahnsson of Finland, 46, ranked 107th in the world, who surprised everybody by placing in 5th place with 684.1 (584+100.1) points. Which turned out to be his best world cup placement ever: he had indeed never placed better than 16th, in this event.

The other two entrance ticket to the next 2012 Games went to Florian Schmidt of Germany, eight with 679.8 (583+96.8) points, and to Spain’s Pablo Carrera, ninth with 583 points, who secured the quota after beating Belarus’ Yury Dauhapolau 48.0 to 46.5 in a shoot-off.