“I feel ready for the World Championship!” said China’s Gao E, the winner of the Trap Women final, the first medal match of the ISSF World Cup in Shotgun events in Lonato, Italy.
Shooting in a hot and sunny Italian afternoon, the two-time Olympic Bronze medallist of Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Gao E of China won the Trap Women final, the opening match of the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Shotgun events in Lonato, Italy, defeating her teammate Liu and the Slovakian champion Stefecekova.
“I kind of felt that I was going to do well in the final, today. It has been a difficult match, but finally I am back on the highest step of the podium!” Said the 47-year old Chinese shooter right after the last shot.
Gao, who had won her last ISSF World Cup Gold medal at the 2008 pre-Olympic event in Beijing, build up today’s victory throughout the final match. Qualified in second place with a score of 70 hits, she climbed up and overtook the qualification leader Stefecekova by hitting 22 targets during the final match, totalizing 92 hits to claim the Gold medal.
“After the third World Cup Stage in Dorset, I have been working on some technical issues of my stock. – Explained Gao, who had placed in tenth in Dorset just a few weeks ago “That paid off. My next goal is the World Championship, and then the 2012 Olympic Games!”
“I want an Olympic Quota Place! – Exclaimed the Chinese shooter, talking about the 50th ISSF World Championship that will kick-off the 29th of July in Munich – I feel ready, I am confident that I will make it!” she concluded, smiling after the award ceremony.
Gao beat the 26-year old Slovakian shooter Zuzana Stefecekova, 26, who finished in second place one target behind her Chinese opponent. The Olympic Silver medallist of Beijing 2008 had entered the match in first place with a qualification score of 73 hits, but as the final started she dropped her third and fourth targets, losing part of her precious head start. The Slovakian athlete struggled then to find her focus, and dropped three clays in a row on her eight, ninth and tenths final shots, sliding down behind Gao. Stefecekova eventually landed in second place, claiming Silver with a total score of 91 hits. This was her second medal, this year, following the Bronze she secured at the ISSF World Cup Stage in Beijing.
Gao’s teammate Liu Yingzi, the winner of that World Cup in Beijing, duelled for Gold throughout the first part of the match. The 39-year old Chinese shooter shot head and head with Gao right to the 17th target, when she lost her focus and missed six targets. Dropping down in the placements, she closed the match in third place with 89 hits, outdoing Kuwait’s Shahad Alhawal by 4 to 3 hits in a shoot-off for Bronze.
Germany’s Jana Beckann, 27, placed in fifth with a total score of 87 targets, while Great Britain’s closed the match in sixth place with 86 hits.
The Trap Men Final will take place tomorrow, at 3.30 PM (GMT+2)
The Trap Women final opened the fourth ISSF World Cup Stage of the season, taking place in Lonato, Italy, from the 7th through the 15th of June. Four more final rounds will take place in the next days on the ranges of the Trap Conca Verde shooting club, starting from tomorrow’s Trap Men Final.
Being the last World Cup Stage of the year, a record number of 580 shooters coming from 79 countries came here to compete looking for a qualification spot to enter year’s ISSF World Cup Final, which will take place in Turkey, in September. This World Cup Stage has also a special meaning for the international shooters, who have a chance to test at the highest levels before the 50th ISSF World Championship (Munich, July 29th – August 10th), where the first 2012 Olympic Quota Places will be awarded.
Check the schedule and watch the next finals on www.issf-sports.org, or follow the live TV show of RaiSat Sport, which will broadcast all the matches.