USA’s two-time Olympic Champion Kimberly Rhode won today’s Skeet Women final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final in Al Ain, UAE, rising up the ISSF Cup after an intense competition.
Shooting in tough conditions, with more than 40° C degrees (105° F), the 32-year old American champion Kim Rhode secured the brightest medal with an overall score of 93 hits.
After making it in the medal match with a qualification score of 69 hits, in third place, Rhode climbed up the scoreboard to the lead by hitting 24 targets during the final. More than anybody else.
“I am used to shoot in these conditions.” Rhode said.
“I usually train in LA, so the temperature did not scare me. But it has been a tough final anyway.”
“It’s great to close the season in this way. I will take some time off for some vacation, after all this travelling.” The American winner added.
“I still don’t know exactly in which competitions I will compete next year. I will be at the pre-Olympic test World Cup in London, that’s sure.”
Rhode, a four-time Olympic medallist and eight-time World Cup medallist, had never won an ISSF World Cup Final, before, although she had been closed to the highest step of the podium in Izmir, last year, as she had closed the match in second.
The Silver medal went to Slovakia’s world record holder Danka Bartekova. The 26-year old shooter walked into the final with today’s highest qualification score, 70 hits, scoring then 22 targets throughout the medal match.
“It has been tough!” The Slovakian shooter said, pocketing her second ISSF World Cup Final Silver five years after her first medal, at the 2006 World Cup Final in Granada. She had finished on the podium also last year, in Izmir, where she had placed in third right behind Rhode.
Today, she was followed in third by the Chinese finalist Zang Dongliang, a 28-year old shooter participating in her first ISSF World Cup Final. Zhang, who had qualified to participate in this event by winning this year’s ISSF World Cup Stage in Maribor, secured the Bronze medal with 91 hits (70+21).
The current Olympic Champion, the left handed Italian shooter Chiara Cainero, closed the match in fourth with 90 hits, after scoring 23 targets during the final. She was followed by China’s 1992 Olympic Champion Zhang Shan and by Russia’s Svetlana Demina, fifth and sixth with 89 and 88 hits, respectively.