The Slovakian shooter finished atop of the podium with two targets of advantage over her opponents. A three-way shoot-off decided the second and third podium placements.
Slovakia’s Danka Bartekova pocketed the Skeet Women ISSF World Cup title, at the 2012 ISSF World Cup Final held in Maribor, today.
The 2012 London Olympics’ Bronze medallist secured the brightest medal with an overall score of 95 targets.
Making it into the final with the top qualifying score of 72 hits, the 27-year old Slovakian shooter hit 23 targets during the medal match in spite of the wind, ending up on the highest step of the podium of the 2012 ISSF World Cup Final.
This was Bartekova’s first World Cup title. The young world record holder had finished on the podium twice, before, winning Silver both at the 2006 and 2011 World Cup Finals, and Bronze at the 2010 editions.
The trophy tops Bartekova’s awards showcase. The Slovakian shooter won four European Championships since 2002, eight ISSF World Cup medals, as well as four ISSF World Cup Final podium placements and five World Championship awards. Following her success at the 2012 Olympics – where she won Bronze – she was elected as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission.
“I have dedicated my life to the sport, and working with the IOC has always been a dream for me.” Danka said, in that occasion.
“I will try to bring the voice of the athletes to the IOC, and I will work in favor of the sport movement.” She added.
“I will continue shooting, and I will cope with my new responsibilities. I believe I still have goals to achieve in my sport career, and at the same time I am not afraid of these new responsibilities.”
Following Bartekova upon today’s podium, three shooters duelled in a shoot-off for the Silver and the Bronze medals. Ending up with a tied score of 93 hits, USA’s Brandy Drozd and Caitling Connor, 18 and 21-year old, met Beijing’s Olympic Bronze medallist Christine Wenzel, 31, of Germany.
Connor was the first to leave the shoot-off, missing a target on her second double. The 21-year old shooter landed in fourth, with an overall score of 93 (70+23) hits, and 3 hits in the shoot-off.
Drozd won then the duel against Wenzel, securing the Silver medal with 93 (69+24) hits plus 9 targets in the shoot-off, leaving Wezel in third with 93+8 hits.
Drodz, today’s youngest finalists, had started competing in 2007, and qualified for this Final by winning a Bronze medal at this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Tucson, Arizona. She had never participated in an ISSF World Cup Final before, while Wenzel had won the 2009 edition.
China’s Zhang Donglian finished in fifth with a total score of 90 (70+20) hits, preceding the Italian finalist Diana Bacosi, sixth with 84 (65+19) hits.