The 2012 ISSF Running Target World Championship, taking place in Sweden from the 1st through the 9th of June, was part of the official celebration of the 1912 Stockholm Olympics 100-year anniversary.
The International Shooting Sport Federation, and the shooting family, took part in the celebrations of the Centennial Jubilee of the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, today, in the closing day of the 2012 ISSF Running Target World Championship held in Sweden.
The Championship, which was held in Vasteras (where the 50m events took place) and Stockholm (where the 10m events were staged), welcomed about 100 shooters, coming from 19 countries. Among them, many young athletes, who had the chance to compete in dedicated Juniors categories.
The 10m Running Target medal matches, the highlights of the championship, took place in Stockholm, as part of the celebrations of the 1912 Stockholm Olympics Centennial Jubilee. Shooting played an important role in the 1912 Games, with more than 280 shooters from 16 nations participating in the Olympics, in 18 different events! In the occasion of the anniversary, the ISSF Running Target World Championship was set in the core of the celebration, with the medal matches taking place in the vicinity of the 1912 Olympic Stadium, and with the shooters invited to participate in the Stockholm Stadium Party at the presence of the King of Sweden, today.
The Championship ended up with two great medal matches. The 10m Running Target Men medal match was won by the 23-year old Russian Champion Dmitry Romanov, who outdid 6 to 5 points the five-time World Champion Czapla of Poland. Two Chinese teammates, Yang Zhang and Li Xue Yan, finished atop of the 10m Running Target Women event, securing the Gold and the Silver.
Looking at the overall medal standings, it was Finland’s that finished atop of the rankings, securing seven Gold medals, four Silver and three Bronzes. Ukraine finished in second with five Gold, six Silver and nine Bronzes, in spite of securing the highest number of medals with 20 awards. The Russian Federation, eventually, placed in third, securing sixteen medals, including three Gold, five Silver and eight Bronzes.
The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, said: “This World Championship is an historic event, due to the fact that it is taking place in concomitance with the 100-year anniversary of the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm”.
The ISSF Secretary General, Mr. Franz Schreiber, said: “ The ISSF is most grateful to the Organizing Committee for the wonderful job they have done.”
The Chairman of the ISSF Running Target Committee, Mr. Pekka Kuusisto, said: “This is the best Running Target World Championship venue we have seen so far. We had a good outturn of athletes, and successful competitions like this will help us on our way back to the Olympics.”
The President of the Swedish Shooting Sport Federation, Mr. Jimmy Persson, said: “I would like to thank the ISSF Authorities for the trust and the support they have granted us in the organization of this event”.
“I am very pleased to have such talented sportsmen as our guests here in Sweden, in occasion of this ISSF World Championship and of the 1912 Olympic Celebrations!” Mr. Persson added.