China’s Zhang Donglian beat Cyprus’s Panayota Andreou in a shoot-off for Gold, in a shoot-off conducted under the rain, at today’s Skeet Women Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia.
Competing in a thunderstorm, China’s 28-year old shooter Zhang Donglian won today’s Skeet Women event, pocketing the Gold medal after a breathtaking shoot-off against Cyprus’ Andreou.
The Chinese finalist, who had made it to the medal match with 72 qualification hits, kept the leadership in spite of missing 3 targets throughout the final match.
Shooting in the worst possible conditions, with the wind blowing, a cold rain dropping, and some hail falling through the lightenings, Zhang ended up with a total score of 94 hits. Then, the Chinese shooter had to pass through a shoot-off, where she met and beat Cyprus’ Panayota Andreou by a narrow 4 to 3 hit to secure the brightest medal.
“I am very happy about this victory, especially in these conditions…” The Chinese shooter said.
“It has been very difficult to shoot in such weather.”
“I am leaving and training in Beijing, and we get very seldom the chance to train with this kind of weather conditions.” Zhang concluded.
The 15-year old Cypriot shooter Panayota Andreou won the Silver medal with a total score of 94+3 hits. The young shooter, at her second international experience, surprised everybody by shooting 24 clays during the final, in spite of the extreme weather conditions. Along with the medal, she was awarded an Olympic Quota place, an entrance ticket to the next 2012 Games in London.
“Panayota is a natural talent,” said her coach, the 2004 Olympic Champion Andrea Benelli of Italy, right after the final.
“She not even 16, and she’s shooting like a pro. I started coaching her last September, and this was just her second participation in a world cup.”
“She has been growing in close contact with the shooting world, as her father is an international shooter since years, but it’s not just that. She has a natural attitude for shooting.” Continued Benelli, mentioning Panayota’s father, Andreu, winner of a World Cup medal just a few weeks ago, in Beijing.
“I will have to make my proposals to the Cyprus’ Shooting Federation concerning the 2012 Games team. She would be my first choice, in this moment.” Concluded Benelli.
The Bronze medal went to Germany’s 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Christine Wenzel, 29. The German finalist closed the match with a total score of 93 (71+22) hits. Wenzel had already won a Bronze, this year, at the Beijing’s world cup stage.
Slovakia’s 28-year old top-shooter Danka Bartekova closed the match in fourth place, with a total of 92 hits. After making it into the medal match through a shoot-off with 70+6 hits, she marked 22 targets in the final, ending up just one target far from the podium.
She was followed in fifth by Russia’s four time World Champion Svetlana Demina, 50, who closed the match with 92 (72+20) hits, and by France’s Veronique Girardet, 45, who also secured the second Olympic Quota Place awarded today with a total score of 91 (72+19) hits.
592 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, and a qualification spot at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final, which will be held in Al Ain (UAE) starting on the 30 of September.
The next medal match of this World Cup Stage, the Skeet Men final, will be held tomorrow, Friday the 15, at 19.30 (Slovenian time).
Stay tuned on www.issf-sports.org for more news on the event!