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Finals Skeet Women

Olympic Champ Cainero is back: new materials, same determination, aiming at Lima

ISSF World Cup Shotgun · Al Ain, UAE

Olympic Skeet Women Champion Chiara Cainero won her last ISSF World Cup in 2010. Now that a new cycle has started, and that she’s changed shotgun, cartridges and coach, she’s ready to come back.

The 2008 Skeet Women Olympic Champion Chiara Cainero is back. The 35-year old Italian shooter from Udine came back atop of an ISSF podium at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, after missing since 2010. 

 

Cainero seems to be back in her best shape. Passing through the qualifications, she shot 73 targets, setting the new World Record (the old records where zeroed with the recent rules changes).


Then, she cleared the semi-final with 11 hits, and passed through a shoot-off to access to the Gold medal match where she met Olga Panarina of Russia.

 

The Gold medal match was routine for the Italian champion, who outdid her opponents 14 to 13 hits, securing the Gold medal. And it was a real come-back for Cainero, missing an ISSF World Cup Gold since 2010.

 

“A lot of things have changed, in the last few months.” The Italian shooter said.

 

“I’ve changed my shotgun. I use now a Beretta DT11. I’ve changed the cartridges, and I am now shooting Clever. And I’ve changed my coach.” She said. Since the beginning of the season, her new coach is indeed the 2004 Olympic Champion Andrea Benelli.

 

“The new rules are tough. But rules are rules, and we must try to do our best in every given condition. After the first two World Cup stages of the year, I am really positive about the new cycle.” Cainero said. At the first World Cup Stage of the year, taking place in Acapulco last month, she had placed in third.

 

“Today’s has been a long match: we started shooting at 7 AM, and we finished at 6 PM. The semi-final and the Gold medal match drained my energies.” The Italian winner said, commenting on the competition.

 

“I had some problems in finding the right cartridges. I had different models with me, and my coach helped me to find the best one for these clays.”

 

“The big aim? This year, I am going for this year's ISSF World Championship in Lima!”

 

The Silver medal went to Russia’s Olga Panarina, 43, ranked 48th in the world, while today’s Bronze medal went to Panarina’s teammate Albina Shakirova, 26, a first time finalist who outdid Great Britain’s Elena Allen in the Bronze medal match by 14 to 13 hits.

 

Both Panarina and Shakirova had set a new world record of 73 hits during the qualifications, along with Cainero, before the semi-final.

 

China’s Zhang Heng and Huang Sixue placed in fifth and sixth places with 10 hits in the semi-finals.

 

 

 

 

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners