Two Italian flags rose upon London’s podium, after today’s Trap Men Final, at the ISSF World Cup in all events taking place in these days at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
The two teammates Massimo Fabbrizi and Giovanni “Johnny” Pellielo finished on the podium together, in first and third place, securing the Trap Men Gold and Bronze medals, while the Silver went to Russia’s Alipov.
“I should have not competed today, and I eventually won, that’s great!” Fabbrizi said.
“I had a severe pain at my right shoulder, and all this rain and bad weather just made it worst. I had thought about withdrawing, but then I took several painkillers, and I gave it a try.”
The 34-year old Italian winner made it to the final with 119 hits, and scored today’s best medal match, hitting 24 targets, while the sun came to shine on the RAB Shotgun final range.
On his way to the highest step of the podium, Fabbrizi beat his teammate Pellielo, the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Alipov and the home shooter Edward Ling, securing the brightest medal with a total score of 143 hits.
“It’s a nice venue, I like this background. I just hope it won’t be raining this much, next August.” The two-time World Champion Fabbrizi said. “I wish I will be in the same position at the Games!”
While Russia’s Alexey Alipov secured the Silver medal with relative ease, with a total score of 141 (119+22), the battle for the Bronze set the spectators on fire. The Italian expert Pellielo and the home shooter Ling finished with an equal score of 140 hits, and had to meet in a shoot-off, a sudden death tie-breaker to determine who would have climbed upon the podium.
Great Britain’s Ling tried his best, but after 13 shoot-off targets he had to surrender to the three-time Italian Olympic medallist. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, I was meeting the 2008 Olympic Silver medallist, I did not even went to Beijing. I just tried to hang on there and resist as much as possible.”
“The team for the 2012 Olympics is not decided yet. I hope I will be here representing my country in three months.” Lind said.
“It takes a lot of work to prepare for an Olympic year. I am training from 4 to 5 hours a day, every day.” The 2008 Olympic medallist Pellielo said, wearing today’s Bronze medal, with a total score of 140 hits in the final + 14 targets in the shoot-off.
“I got an Olympic Bronze and two Olympic Silver in the last three Olympics, this time should be my time!” The 42-year old Italian world record holder said.
Two Russian shooters, Maxim Kosarev and Pavel Gurkin finished in fifth and sixth place with 137 and 134 hits, respectively.