10m Air Rifle M- ZHU claimed his fourth 2009 World Cup medal.

Beijing’s Silver medallist ZHU Qinan won today’s 10m Air Rifle Men competition, the first final match of the ISSF World Cup in Rifle and Pistol event in Milan.

The 24-year old Chinese shooter defended his leadership in the World Ranking by shooting the highest final round of 103.1 points, for a total of 699.1 points, winning his second world cup’s Gold medal in this season following the gold he pocketed in Changwon, Korea. Zhu climbed the podium of all this year’s four ISSF World Cup stages, winning two Gold medals (Milan and Changwon), one Silver (Beijing) and a Bronze medal (Munich).

Silver went to Ukraine’s Artur AIVAZIAN, 36, who climbed up the scoreboard from the fifth place he had on the start list finishing in second place with 698.8 (596+102.8) points, missing the Gold medal only by three tenths of a point.

AIVAZIAN preceded on the podium the Olympic Bronze medallist Henri HAKKINEN of Finland, who placed in third by shooting an excellent final round of 102.6 points. The Finnish athlete qualified with 595 points, and he squeezed into the medal match by winning a five-way shoot-off with 53.1 points. In spite of his 15-year long international experience, the 28-year old Hakkinen had never won an ISSF World Cup’s medal before.

The rifle revelation of this season, the 21-year old Norwegian shooter Ole Magnus BAKKEN played a disappointing final round. After qualifying in first place with 596 points, Bakken shot final of 98.6 points landing in seventh place.

The European Champion, Italy’s Niccolò CAMPRIANI who was followed here in Milan by a number of spectators,  placed in fifth with 696.9 (596+100.9) points. He followed the 29-year old expert rifle shooter Mario KNOEGLER of Austria, fourth today with 697.5 (596+101.5) points.