Beating world’s n. 1 Wu of China, Jamie Beyerle won the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women final, claiming Gold in spite of a sinuses infection.
“I have a sinuses infection, and I had some balance problems. I haven’t been feeling very good since a few days, now.” Said the American shooter Jamie Beyerle, the winner of today’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event at the ISSF World Cup Final in Fort Benning, USA.
“This is why I shot that 7.9 on my seventh final shot… I lost the balance, and it was too late…” Continued Beyerle, who ended up in first place with a total score of 687.7 points, in spite of that unlucky shot.
Making it into the final round with a qualification score of 591 points and a huge advantage of six points on her followers, the home shooter (who’s currently ranked second in the world) scored 96.7 points during the final match. Enough to leave her opponents far behind her.
“It’s great that at the end I made it. Fort Benning is my home range, I am training here and I know this place very well, of course.” Said Beyerle, wearing the Gold medal. “I am going to Serbia, for the next World Cup, and then to the World Championship.” Added the American shooter, mentioning the most important shooting competition of the year “I just passed through our internal selections for the ISSF World Championship, so I will be there.”
In spite of the sinuses infection, the 25-year old athlete said she is going to be back on the shooting lines in a few days. “Our nationals are yet to start, but I think I will only compete one day. We have a tight schedule this year, and it’s important to be ready for the World Championship.”
There, in Munich, at the 50th ISSF World Championship where the first 2012 Olympic Quota Places will be awarded, Beyerle will meet the current number one in the world in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event, China’s Wu Liuxi, who finished second today after scoring 686.0 points. Walking into today’s match with 585 points, the Chinese athete shot one of today’s highest score in the final, 101.0 points, proving to be in great conditions.
25-year old Wu is currently ranked first in both the Rifle Women events. Winning three Gold medals in the first two World Cup of the season, in Sydney and Beijing, and two Silver medals here in Fort Benning, she stands as the women to beat at the upcoming World Championship.
China celebrated two medals, today, thanks to Wu’s teammate Zheng Feng, who grabbed the Bronze medal. The 23-year old shooter, competing in her second ISSF World Cup Stage today, finished on the podium with 683.3 (583+100.3).
India’s Lajja Gauswami, shot today’s highest final score, 101.1 points, climbing up form the eighth to the fourth place. The 21-year old athlete squeezed into the final after a shoot-off with a qualification score of 581 + 50.3 points, ending then up in fourth with a total of 682.1 points, 1.2 points far from the podium.
Japan’s Seiko Iwata, also qualified for the match through a shoot-off, closed the match in fifth with 680.6 points, followed in sixth place by the second American finalist, 22-year old Amy Sowash.