The Spanish shooter beat 3 to 2 hits the two-time Olympic Champion of Australia Michael Diamond. Both the shooters were awarded an Olympic Quota Place for London 2012
Spain’s Jesus Serrano won today’s Trap Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Maribor, finishing on the highest step of the podium after a neck and neck duel against the two-time Olympic Champion Michael Diamond.
Serrano entered the medal match in the lead, with a qualification score of 124 hits, and one target of head start on his followers. Leading throughout the first part of the match, he lost his advantage by missing three out of the last 7 targets.
Australia’s top shooter Diamond, 39, who had qualified with 123 hits, took advantage of Serrano’s defiance, and tied him with a final score of 146 hits.
The two shooters met in a shoot-off to decide the Gold medal. Then, Serrano zeroed in and beat Diamond 3 to 2 hits, securing the brightest medal with a total score of 146+3 targets, leaving the Australian the Silver with 146+2 clays. Both the shooters were awarded an Olympic Quota Place, a qualification spot for the 2012 London Games.
“I have been fighting with the light!” commented Serrano right after the shoot-off “The final took place quite late, the sun was setting behind the hills, so at the end of the match I had problems in focusing on my targets, and I missed a cl”
“I went through a black out: my vision was not ok.” Continued the Spanish shooter. “Luckily, I was able to zero in just in time for the shoot-off, and I made it.”
“A gold medal and an Olympic Quota: It feels great!” He said.
The Bronze medal went to Great Britain’s Aaron Heading, 24, winning his first World Cup medal here in Maribor. The young shooter had made it to the final with a qualification score of 122+3 hits, by passing through a shoot-off. Then, hitting 22 out of 25 targets in the final, he climbed up to the podium leaving behind him Croatia’s Josip Glasnovic (28) and India’s Mansher Singh (45), in fourth and fifth with a total score of 143 hits. Portugal’s Jose Manuel Bruno Faria followed them closing the match in sixth and last place with 142 hits.
Almost 600 shooters coming from 77 countries are competing here in Maribor in the fourth and last ISSF Shotgun World Cup Stage of the year, trying to secure an Olympic Quota Place for the 2012 London Games
The next medal match will be held the day after tomorrow, on Tuesday the 12, at 15.40 (Slovenian time).
Stay tuned on www.issf-sports.org for more news on the event!