China’s Yi Siling beat her teammate Wu Liuxi in a duel for today’s 10m Air Rifle Women Gold medal. Shooting two consecutive 10.9, and firing today’s highest final score, the 21-year old athlete won her first ISSF medal.
“Finally I got a Gold, after all those second places!” exclaimed Yi Siling, the 21-year old Chinese shooter who won today’s 10m Air Rifle Women Gold medal. Yi, ranked third in the world, had placed in second also at the last ISSF World Cup places in Beijing, just one month ago “I didn’t really realized that I was climbing up, today. I was feeling a little bit of tension during the match, starting in second place again.” said today’s Gold medallist.
Entering the match with a qualification score of 398 points, one point behind her teammate Wu Liuxi (world’s top ranked Air Rifle shooter), Yi climbed up in the lead by shooting today’s highest final score. Firing two consecutive 10.9s, the young Chinese shooter scored 103.3 points during the final, ending up in first with a total score of 501.3 points to win her first ISSF World Cup Gold medal.
“To shoot a 10.9 is not that common. It happened four time to me, today, twice during the sighting time and two consecutive times during the final round!”
The second Chinese finalist, Wu Liuxi, the current world rank leader and world record holder, finished in second place securing Silver with a total score of 500.8 points. After making it into the final with a qualification score of 399 points, she slid down in second by firing 101.8 points. The 25-year old shooter, who had won the last two ISSF World Cup Finals in 2008 and 2009, as well as the last World Cup Stage in Beijing, said that she will now try her best to succeed at the next ISSF World Championship, where the first 2012 Olympic Quota Places are going to be assigned.
“It is a great honour for me to finish on the podium together to Wu Liuxi – said the Gold medallist Yi – There is a certain sport rivalry between us, but only on the shooting lines. – Continued Yi – … And the World Championship is also my next goal…”
It was a first time finalist, Serbia’s Andrea Arsovic, who claimed today’s Bronze medal. The 23-year old shooter, who competed in a number of ISSF World Cup Stages between 2007 and 2010, had never gained a spot in a final round, so far. Qualified for today’s match in fifth place with 397 points, she shot a 102.3 points during the final to climb up in third place with a total score of 499.0 points.
The Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing Snjezana Pejcic, place in fourth, today. The 27-year old Croatian shooter finished just 0.3 points far from the podium, closing the round with 499.0 points.
The home shooter, USA’s Jamie Beyerle, finished in sixth with a total score of 498.5 points.