Oguzhan Tuzun of Turkey won today’s Trap Men Gold medal at the 2012 ISSF World Cup Final in Maribor, Slovenia, shooting off Russia’s 2004 Olympic Champion Alexey Alipov.
Tuzun won one of the most exciting matches of the year, winning the duel for the highest step of the podium in a thrilling shoot-off.
The Turkish champion passed through the qualifications with a score of 123 hits, making it to the medal match in first place, with a three-target lead over Alipov.
But then, Tuzun missed then three targets in the medal match, scoring 22 hits to Alipov’s 25, and the two shooters finished up with a tied overall score of 145 hits.
In the following shoo-off for Gold, a sudden-death tiebreaker to decide the title winner, Tuzun turned out to be the winner, outdoing Alipov 3 to 2 hits and pocketing the brightest medal.
Tuzun secured his second ISSF World Cup title, today. The Turkish shooter had indeed won the 2010 ISSF World Cup Series, clinching the Gold medal on the layouts of his home range, in Izmir (TUR).
“I am so happy to win this medal, right now, after a stressing Olympic season.” Tuzun said after the match. The 29-year old shooter arrived here in Maribor after winning this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Lonato, Italy.
“I had won the 2010 World Cup Final on my home range. That had been more difficult, because of the expectations and the mental pressure. I came here telling myself ‘I made it once, I can make it again’, and it worked!”
“During the Olympic Games, I lost 7 kilos. – Tuzun said – That changed my biometric measurements. That means that I had to change the stock of my shotgun, and today’s was the first match with the new equipment. I did not train, in the last three weeks, so I was not so confident. That’s why I am so happy about winning this title!”
Today’s Bronze medal went to Jesus Serrano of Spain, a 34-year old shooter ranked sixth in the world. Serrano – who had never won an ISSF World Cup Final medal before – made it to the medal in match in last, with a qualification score of 119+3 targets, after outdoing Italy’s Rodolfo Vigano of Italy in a shoot-off for the final. Then, shooting solidly, he hit 25 targets, climbing up to the third place, with an overall score of 144 hits.
“I am not that happy.” Serrano said. “After shooting a 25 in the final, I would have liked to shoot for the Gold. Something happened during the match: Alipov was given a no-bird by the referee. We think that was a zero, instead. I am going back home with the Bronze. Well, it’s a medal, but I expected more.”
Great Britain’s Edward Ling closed the match in fourth, with 142 targets, after qualifying with 120 clays and hitting 22 targets in the final.
Italy’s 29-year old shooter Erminio Frasca, who dropped from the third place he had on the start list with 121 qualification targets, landing down in fifth place with an overall score of 141 hits.
Following them, the leading Olympic Gold medallist, Giovanni Cernogoraz of Croatia, closed his match in sixth place. After making it to the final with 120 hits, London 2012 Champion missed eight targets in the final, to finish with a total of 137 hits.
The 2012 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final will continue tomorrow, in Maribor, with two more medal matches.
The Skeet Women Final will take place at 14:45, and will be followed by the Double Trap Men Final, starting at 16:15 (GMT+1).
Follow the match on www.issf-sports.org