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Finals 10m Air Rifle Women

Chang (CHN) beat Maksimovic (SRB) in the duel for the 10m Air Rifle Women Gold

ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol · Fort Benning, USA

The People's Republic of China won its first medal at the 2014 ISSF Rifle and Pistol held in Fort Benning, GA, USA, today. Thanks to Chang Jing, 26, currently ranked fifth in the world, who secured the Gold at the 10m Air Rifle Women final.

Chang, who started shooting on the international scene just two years ago, did not leave many chances to her opponents. With 209.1 points scored in the final, she closed the match in first with 1.5 points of advantage on the Silver medallist, Ivana Maksimovic of Serbia.

 

But that was not a surprise: Chang had only participated in two ISSF World Cup, last year, finishing on both podiums. Stats don't lie: when she's competing in ISSF World Cup air rifle matches, she's winning a medal.

 

The London 2012 Olympic medallist Ivana Maksimovic, 23, from Serbia, followed in second place, with a final score of 207.6 points. Enough to start off the new World Cup season on the podium, five months after winning a Silver medal at the 2013 ISSF World Cup Finals.

 

“It has been quite difficult for me, today.” Maksimovic said, wearing the Silver medal. The Serbian shooter fought shoulder and shoulder against Russia's Anna Zhukova throughout the whole match, right to the 18th shot, when Zhukova fired a disappointing 9.2-point shot, putting herself in third with a total score of 186.0 points.

 

“I have been feeling the pressure of the match, and I couldn't see anything! But I tried to resit and focus on each shot, and luckily I made it!” Maksimovic said.

 

“I am happy I could start off the world cup series with a medal. I won a Bronze at the European Championship in Moscow just a few weeks ago, and I feel great.” She added.

 

“2014 is an important season. I will be going to all world cup stages but Beijing, to prepare for the ISSF World Championship in Granada (where the first quota places for Rio 2016 will be assigned, ed.) I will spend a lot of time in Spain, training for that.”

Maksimovic has also been nominated as the 2014 Shooting Athlete Role Model for the Youth Olympic Games, so she will travel to Nanjing, China, next August. “It's exciting, I can't wait for that! I am really looking forward to the Youth Olympic Games, I am sure it's going to be a great experience.” Ivana concluded, with a smile on her face.

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners