Winning the 50m Pistol Men event, Japan's Matsuda Tomoyuki secued his second consecutive Gold medal at the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Sydney. Italy and China won the Olympic Quota Places.
The 50m Pistol Men final took place in a windy day, at the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range of Sydney. But, in spite of the unfavourable conditions, the two-time World Champion Matsuda Tomoyuki of Japan secured the Gold medal with ease. Starting the match in first with a qualification score of 567 points, the Japanese shooter increased his advantage over his followers shot after shot. Shooting the highest final score, 97.0 points, Matsuda landed on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 664.0 points.
The 35-year old Japanese shooter had won the 10m Air Pistol men event just three days ago, dedicating the victory to his wounded homeland.
Today, winning his second consecutive Gold medal at the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Sydney, he took the chance to say something more about the situation in Japan. “I can’t really celebrate, right now. My family lives in the surroundings of Tokyo, and we are worried about the nuclear emergency.” Matsuda said. “Everybody here at the ISSF World Cup asked me if I was ok while I was in Japan. I was touched by them and I would like to thank all the shooters who came to talk to me.”
Two Olympic Quota Place had to be assigned at today’s final. As Matsuda had already won a Quota at the last 2010 World Championship, the Olympic qualification cards went to the Silver and the Bronze medallists.
After fighting neck and neck with Chian’s Pang Wei, it was Francesco Bruno who secured the first Olympic Quota place, a 32-year old Italian athlete who competed in both the 2004 and at the 2008 Olympic Games. Entering the match with 563 qualification points, he fired today’s second best final score (96.8 points) to finish upon the second step of the podium with a total of 659.8 points.
The 2008 Air Pistol Olympic Champion, Pang Wei of the People’s Republic of China, finished in third right behind Bruno, with a total score of 659.9 (561+95.9) points, pocketing the second Olympic Quota Place.
Ending up in fourth place, Korea’s Lee Daemyung closed the match with 656.3 points, followed by China’s Wu Xiao Wu, 28-year old, at his first participation in an ISSF World Cup stage in this event, who finished in fifth with 655.8 points. The third Chinese finalist, Zhang Tian, placed in sixth with 654.7 points.
The Serbian shooter Damir Mikec, 26, a finalist at the last 2008 Olympic Games, closed the match in seventh with 654.5 points, followed by Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec, 38, with 653.7 points.