Norway’s Olympic Silver medallist Tore Brovold secured the first Skeet Gold medal of the season, outdoing USA’s McLelland in a shoot-off. 2000 Olympic Champion Milchev finished in third, while the reigning champion Hancock closed in fourth.
The Olympic Silver medallist of Beijing, Norway’s Tore Brovold, won the Skeet Men Gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Acapulco (MEX), today. The 39-year old athlete started the 2010 season in best possible way, going back on the highest step of an ISSF World Cup after missing the Gold since six years.
“It was my time, today. I had won my last World Cup Gold medal six years ago!” Said Brovold after the final match. The Norwegian shooter, a world record holder and a two times World Cup Final winner, had indeed claimed his last ISSF WC Gold at the 2004 pre-Olympic World Cup in Athens.
Starting today’s final in the lead tied to USA’s Randal McLelland with a qualification score of 124 hits, Brovold build up his victory since the first stations, shooting solidly and completing the final with a perfect score of 25 hits out of 25 targets. “I though I could make it right after clearing the fourth station” he said “But you never know. I had to hit all the final targets, to climb the podium. Randal is a young shooter, and he was shooting extremely good today. The range? Good, but the background is a little but difficult, and today’s wind made it even more difficult.”
McLelland duelled with Brovold right to the end, hitting all the final targets as well. The fight between the two athletes continued in a shoot-off for the Gold medal. Keeping the focus, Brovold outdid McLelland 2 to 1 hits, securing Gold with a total score of 149 hits + 2 targets in the shoot-off.
Randal McLelland, 24, a first time finalist, secured Silver with a total score of 149 hits + 1 targets in the shoot-off, claiming his first International medal in a windy Mexican afternoon. “My goals this year are to be on the podium at the next World Cups, and to win the World Championship!” said the 24-year old American shooter, mentioning the 2010 ISSF World Championship, that will take place in Munich starting from the 29th of July. There, the first 2012 Olympic Games Quota Places will be awarded to the best performers.
Today’s Bronze medal went to the 2000 Olympic Champion, the Ukraine shooter Mikola Milchev. Walking into the final with 123 qualification targets, the 42-year old shooter climbed up the scoreboard by hitting 24 targets during the final, and finished on the podium with a total score of 147 clays. Always ranking between the bests, he had won his last ISSF World Cup Gold last year, in Cairo.
It turned out to be an unlucky match for the 2008 Olympic Champion of Beijing, McLelland’s teammate Vincent Hancock, the current leader of the World Ranking. Struggling through the qualifications, Hancock made it into the final with a qualification score of 122 hits, finishing then in fourth place after outdoing Netherland’s Jan-Cor Greef in a shoot-off. Last year, 20-year old Hancock had won the ISSF World Championship held in Maribor, and a Silver medal at the ISSF World Cup Final in Beijing.