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ISSF World Cup Final Day 2 – Russia and Italy: four medals out of two events

ISSF World Cup Final Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Gabala, AZE

Ekimov and Klimov (RUS) won Gold and Silver at the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men event. Fabbrizi and Pellielo (ITA) did the same at the Trap Men final, during the second day of competitions of the 2014 ISSF World Cup Final in Gabala (AZE).

The 2014 ISSF World Cup Final in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events held in Gabala, Azerbaijan, from the 21st through the 28th of October continued today with the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men and the Trap Men events.

 

The Russian Federation celebrated two medals at the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men event, thanks to Leonid Ekimov and Alexei Klimov, who finished on the first and second step of the podium, respectively.

 

Ekimov, 27, ranked 9th in the world in this event, shot an irresistible final, today, equalling the Final World Record of 35 hits to claim his second ISSF World Cup Final title (he had already won the competition in 2010).

 

His 39-year old teammate Alexei Klimov – a 3-time world cup final winner (2006, 2008, 2009) – followed him in second place with a final score of 31 hits, beating the 2014 Wolrd Championship Bronze medallist Li Yuehong of the People's Republic of China (25), who pocketed the Bronze with 26 hits. The World Cup title defender, USA's Emil Milev, ended up in fourth with 23 hits.

 

The Trap Men event ended up in a all-Italian Gold medal match between the 7-time Wolrd Cup Final winner Giovanni Pellielo (44) and the 2012 Olympic Silver medallist Massimo Fabbrizi (37).

 

The two teammates claimed two spots in the Gold medal match after passing through a four-way shoot-off, needed to separate the four athletes who had closed the semi-final with a perfect score of 15 hits. Then, they both hit 14 targets, ending up tied again at the end of the medal match. 19 shoot-off targets were needed to separate the two Italian finalists and to assign the Gold, until Pellielo missed a clay, placing himself in second and leaving the brightest medal to Fabbrizi.

 

I can't believe I finally won it!” Fabbrizi said. “I have been chasing this medal for years.”

 

I am training with Giovanni a lot. We have gone through shoot-offs several times, before. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but luckily I made it. Finally!” Said Fabbrizi, who participated in 8 Wolrd Cup Finals winning two Bronze and one Silver medals, before clinching today's victory. At the same time, Pellielo gained here his 14th ISSF World Cup Final medal, after having won 7 titles, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals out of 18 Wolrd Cup Final participations since 1992.

 

The Trap Men Bronze medal went to Spain's Alberto Fernandez, 31, who beat India's Manavjit Singh Sandhu in the Bronze medal match 15 to 14 hits, after they had both scored 15 targets in the semi-final.

 

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners