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Finals 50m Pistol Men

Italy’s Bruno won the 50m Pistol Men Final

ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol · Changwon, KOR

The 32-year old shooter climbed from the seventh place to secure the brightest medal. Two Korean teammates finished in the spotlights, winning the Bronze and a Quota Place.

Italy’s Francesco Bruno won today’s 50m Pistol Men final at the 2011 ISSF Rifle & Pistol World Cup in Changwon, Korea.

 

The 32-year old Italian athlete finished on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 662.2 points. Qualified in sixth place with 564 points, Bruno climbed up the scoreboard, ending up with the brightest medal after scoring 98.2 points during the final, in spite of a minor misadventure on his last shot.

 

“I had turned off my pistol before the last shot, to trigger it a little bit before the last shot, to release the tension. Then I forgot to turn it on again when I mounted the gun for the last shot. My heart was pumping fast…”

 

“It has been a long time since I won my last Gold” Bruno said after the final, releasing the pressure of the match. He had secured his last World Cup Gold back in 2003. “I have been working a lot to make it, in the last two years”

 

“Two World Cup medals in two weeks are a great result, for me” Bruno added. He had won a Silver medal and a Quota Place just two weeks ago, at the ISSF World Cup in Sydney.

 

“Since I became a father, two years ago, my life changed. I would like to dedicate this victory to my family, also thanking my coach Masetti.”  The Italian athlete added. “Now, full throttle ahead to London!”

 

The Silver medal and the first Olympic Quota Place went to Russia’s young champion Leonid Ekimov, 23, who finished in second place with an overall score of 660.6 points. Walking into the final with 564 points, the Russian athlete fired 96.6 points in the final, to finish with the Silver medal and a pass to the 2012 Olympic Games.

 

The spectators following the match at Changwon’s final hall cheered up for Kim Yeong Koo and Lee Damyung, the two Korean finalists.

 

The two home shooters, who had started in first and third place, eventually closed the match winning a Bronze medal (thanks to Lee Damyung, third with 659.1 points) and with an Olympic Quota Place (secured by Kim Yeong Koo, fourth with 658.8 points).

 

The 1992 Olympic Champion Kanstantin Lukashyk of Belarus closed the match in fifth place with 658.4 points, just four tenths far from the Olympic Quota Place. The 35-year old shooter participated in all the Olympic editions since Barcelona, and is still looking for an entrance ticket to London, which would be his sixth Olympics.

 

Following him, Portugal’s Costa landed in sixth with 657.2 points, followed by China’s Pu Qifeng in seveth and by Slovakia’s Pavol Kopp in eighth with 655.8 points. 

 

Five hundred shooters are competing in Changwon in these days, in the third leg of the 2011 ISSF Wold Cup Series. The best shooters of the world came here trying to secure one of the 24 Olympic Quota Places to be assigned during this competition.

 

The next medal match, the 10m Air Rifle Women Final, will take place tomorrow, the 10th of April, at 1.30 PM (GMT +9). Don’t miss the match on www.issf-sports.org!

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners