The 2011 “Shooter of the Year” won the 10m Air Rifle Women match, leaving her closest opponent two points behind. On the podium, as at the last World Cup Stage in London but with different placements, stood Lenka Maruskova of Czech Republic and Chinese Taipei’s Tia Chia Chen
Olena Kostevych keeps on winning: Ukraine’s 2004 Olympic Champion secured the 10m Air Pistol Women Gold medal, today, shooting at the 2012 ISSF World Cup Stage 3 in Milan, Italy.
The 27-year old shooter nailed another podium, after winning the 2011 ISSF World Cup Final in Wroclaw, and after finishing in the spotlights at the 2012 ISSF World Cup in London, where she ended up in second.
Kostevych, currently ranked first in the world, did not play her best final today, though 101.1 points where enough to finish in first on Milan’s lines. Entering the final match in the leas, with 392 points, she managed her 3-point head start over he followers, securing the lead with an overall score of 493.1points.
Too far to be reached: Kostevych left her closest opponent, Athens 2004 Olympic medallist Lenka Maruskova of Czech Republic more than 2 points behind her. Maruskova, 27, ranked 5th in the world in this event, tried to catch her, scoring today’s highest score in the final (102.0 points), but her total score of 491.0 points turned out to be 2.1 points shy of tying the winner.
It was history repeated: today’s three medallists had already met a few weeks ago. Kostevych and Maruskova had indeed fought against each other at the pre-Olympic World Cup in London, where they had finished in second and third place respectively, in a match won Chinese Taipei’s Tia Chia Chen. The latter, finished today’s match in third place with 487.9 (387+100.9) points, confirming to be one of the most prepared air pistol competitors in this part of the season.
Belarus’ Viktoria Chaika, who had started off the match in third place after the qualifications with 388 points, did not make it today’s podium. After challenging the top contenders in the first part of the match, she closed the round with a series of three shots in the eighth ring, dropping down in seventh place where she closed the final with 484.4 points.
Taking advantage of Chaika’s defiance, Spain’s 31-year old finalist Sonia Franquet climbed up in fourth place, closing the match with an overall score of 486.1 (386+100.1) points. Following her, the fifth place went to Serbia’s Olympic multi-medallist Jasna Sekaric, with 486.0 (387+99.0) points, while France’s Olympic hope Celine Goberville finished in sixth with 485.1 (386+99.1) points. The final rank was closed by Australia’s Lalita Yauhleuskaya, a 48-year old four-time Olympian ranked third in the world after winning a Bronze at last year’s ISSF World Cup Final in Wroclaw, who placed in eighth with 483.9 (385+98.9) today.