Cyprus’ Achielleos finished in first beating Greece’s Mavrommatis in a shoot-off for Gold. Following them, the 2008 Olympic Champion Hancock secured Bronze outdoing Denmark’s Golding after 38 shoot-off targets
“To win two World Cup Gold medals back to back is a dream which comes true!” said the Cypriot Champion Georgios Achilleos, who claimed today’s Skeet Men Gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy. The 29-year old shooter, who had won also the previous World Cup Stage held in Dorset (UK), secured the brightest medal with a total score of 148+10 targets, outdoing Greece’s Nikolaos Mavromatis in a shoot-off.
“Three years ago, here in Lonato, I finished in second in spite of scoring 149 targets… - continued Achilleos, speaking at the ISSF TV microphones after the award ceremony - Coming here I knew that high scores were mandatory to finish on the highest step of the podium, and I prepared myself.”
Making it into the final round with a qualification score of 123 hits, the Cypriot athlete climbed up the scoreboard to the lead, hitting 25 out of 25 final targets in spite of the wind affecting the targets “The wind helped me. I handled it, while my opponents started missing. Passing through the trainings and the qualification rounds, I felt really confident.” Said Achilleos, who closed the round with a total score of 148 hits beating then the qualification’s leader Nikolaos Mavrommatis 10 to 9 hits in a shoot-off for Gold.
“Coming from a Gold medal in Dorset, I knew I was in very good conditions and well prepared to make it. I only participated in two World Cup Stages this year, trying to save some energies because I want to be ready for the ISSF World Championship in Munich.” Concluded Achilleos, speaking about the 50th ISSF World Championship in all events, where he will face the strongest shooters of the world in a fight to secure the first 2012 Olympic Quota Places. The Cypriot shooter, ranked third in the world in the Skeet Men event, has already rose the World Championship cup twice, as a Junior competitor in 1999, and in 2007, when he won at his home range in Nicosia.
Today’s Silver medal went to Greece’s Nikolaos Mavrommatis. The 29-year old shooter, who had never made it to a World Cup final round before, qualified for the medal match in the lead with 124 hits, loosing then his head start by missing a target on station four. Tied to Achielleos with a final score of 148 hits, he lost the Gold in the shoot-off, finishing in second with 148+9 hits.
The battle for Bronze kept the spectators’ breaths, as three shooters tied in third place with a total score of 147 hits, and they had to pass through a second shoot-off to determinate the podium placements.
Russia’s expert Valery Shomin, 38, was the was the first to miss, placing himself in fifth with a total score of 147+11 hits, while the 2008 Olympic Champion Hancock (USA) and Denmark’s Andres Golding, 26, kept on shooting for the Bronze. After an endless back and forth on station four, it was Vincent Hancock who claimed the Bronze medal with a total score of 147+38 hits, leaving Golding in fourth with a score of 147+37 targets.
Following them, UAE’s Saeed Almaktoum closed the round in sixth place with a total score of 143 hits. The 33-year old shooter, who just changed his shotgun to a spectacular custom made Holland&Holland, had participated in his last ISSF final round in 2007, at the World Cup stage held in Maribor.