H.H. Sheik Saeed Almaktoum of Dubai left his opponents three targets behind him, securing his first ISSF World Cup Final title at the age of 35, with a total score of 146 hits out of 150 targets.
The home athlete won today’s Skeet Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final, raising the United Arab Emirates flag upon the highest step of the podium, for the joy of the local spectators.
H.H. Sheik Saeed Almaktoum, from Dubai (UAE), pocketed indeed the Cup with a total score of 146 hits, leaving his closest opponent three targets behind him.
Walking into the final match with today’s highest qualification score (121 hits out of 125 targets) Almaktoum closed the medal match in the lead by hitting 25 out of 25 targets.
“It has been a tough match, we have to admit that these targets were difficult to break.” The winner said, hugging the cup.
“I have been working a lot on the cartridges, to find out the best combination for this match.” He said. “I work a lot on materials and on developments: I change my shotgun almost every year, I fitted several different stocks, and I went from low-rib to high-rib and vice-versa, before finding the best technical solutions.”
Almaktoum, 35-years old, started competing in Trap 1995, switching then to Skeet. Competing in several ISSF events, he pocketed a Silver medal at the 2001 ISSF World Cup Stage in Seoul, before today’s success on his home court.
“This is not exactly my home ground” Sheik Saeed Almaktoum said after the final “I come from Dubai, and I drove here to Al Ain – one and half hour every day – to train and to prepare for this competition.”
“It’s great to win this title, here in the United Arab Emirates” he added “I have been a bit unlucky in the past, missing some finals by one targets only, and missing some medal chances. Finally, luck turned in my favour!”
Today’s Silver medal went to the 2008 Olympic Silver medallist Tore Brovold of Norway, 41, who finished in second place with a total score of 143 hits. Scoring 118 targets during the qualification, the world record holder hit all the 25 targets in the final, but that was not enough to reach today’s Almaktoum.
“Targets were too hard to break, here. I don’t like these clays, and I had to choose the cartridges back home, before coming here, so I had no chance to adapt to the situation.” Brovold said.
He was followed in third place by the recently-awarded ISSF World Champion, Spain’s Juan Josè Aramburu, from Guipzucia, Pais Basques. Aramburu finished in third place with an overall score of 141 targets, after hitting 118 targets in the qualifications and 23 clays in the final.
“I am a bit tired, at the end of the season.” Aramburu said right after the final. “I competed at the World Championship just a few weeks ago… now I feel I am ready for some rest!”
Cyprus’ top skeet shooter, Georgios Achilleos, finished in fourth place, with 139 (115+24) hits, followed by Norway’s Ole Eilif Undseth (fifth with 139 hits) and by Greece’s Nikolas Mavrommatis, sixth with 137 hits.