400 shooters will compete in the third step of this year’s Rifle and Pistol World Cup Series which started-off at the international shooting range of Fort Benning, Gerogia, USA.
Following the first two steps of Sydney and Beijing, the ISSF World Cup Series in Rifle and Pistol events moved to USA, where about 400 shooters coming from 52 countries came to compete in the ten Olympic events of Rifle and Pistol shooting at the International Shooting Range of Fort Benning, Georgia.
The official start to the competition was given at the opening ceremony held at the new Ft. Benning’s Infantry Musueum, where athletes’ delegations had a chance to meet the organizers and the official of the World Cup event.
Lindsay Brooke, the Deputy Chief of the 2010 World Cup Organizing Committee, started off the ceremony by welcoming the athletes: “We are grateful for such strong participation this year and we look forward to providing you with the best possible experience here!” she said, leaving then the stage to Mr. Robert Mitchell, USA Shooting Executive Director and member of the ISSF Executive Committee, and to Mr. Gary Anderson, the ISSF Vice President and President of USA Shooting, who addressed a welcome peech to athletes and local authorities.
“On behalf of the ISSF and USA Shooting, I’d like to welcome the best rifle and pistol shooters of the world. – said Mr. Anderson – Welcome to USA and to the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning!”
“We are honoured to organize this World Cup and to once agaig bring together the worldwide shooting sport family!” concluded Mr. Anderson, before declaring the competition officially opened.
FIRST MEDALS:
The 10m Air Rifle Men and the 10m Air Pistol Women, the first two medal matches of this ISSF World Cup Stage, will take place today, May the 24th, at 12.00 and 15.30 respectively (GMT-5).
All the World Cup events will be broadcasted live by ISSF TV. Don’t miss your favourite match, check the competition's schedule and follow the finals live on issf-sports.org!