News

-16 to the Games. Kostevych wants her 10m Air Pistol Women title back

XXX Olympic Games · London, GBR

EVENT PREVIEW: The 10m Air Pistol Women Final, taking place on the 29th of July at 11:45, will probably turn into the stage of an epic duel for the highest step of the podium. Olena Kostevych, the 2004 Olympic Champ, is back in shape and wants to wear that gold. Will the current Olympic Champ, China’s Guo Wenjun, and the reigning World Champ Zorana Arunovic stop her?

The 2004 Olympic Champion Olena Kostevych wants her title back, and makes no secret of it. The 27-year old champion from Ukraine won the Athens’ Olympics eight years ago, and then lost that “magic touch” for the target. At the following Olympics, in 2008, she landed in place 31. But now things have changed, and she’s returned to win. For the last two years, Kostevych has climbed back in the world ranking to the top by winning six ISSF World Cup medals between 2011 and 2012, and earning Gold at the last ISSF World Cup Final in Wroclaw last year. Numbers do not lie: she participated in 13 ISSF events in the last Olympic cycle, making it to 11 finals, and then finished 8 times on the podium and won 4 matches. In the last four years, no one else has won as many.

 

The current Olympic Champ, Chinas Guo Wenjun, places in second in the ISSF NEWS Magazine’s “Super 25 Chart”, and that’s because of her record five podiums and two victories during the last four years. But she hasn’t been doing as well in the last season, and that’s why the 28-year old shooter slid in the world ranking. In London, they will most certainly meet the current World Champion, Serbias 26-year old Zorana Arunovic. The young sharpshooter won the last ISSF World Cup Stage of the year held in Munich, with about 5 points of advantage over her followers, returning to the top of an ISSF podium after a one-year absence. “I have been saved by Munich!” The young Serbian winner declared right after the final. “I had some issues at the previous ISSF World Cup Stages in Milan and London, so this result helps me build up my self confidence on my way to the Olympic Games.” Arunovic, who is acknowledged to be one of the best up-and-coming pistol shooters in the world scene, will also compete in the 25m Pistol Women event, as she declared. “Air Pistol is my strong event. I am training in Sport Pistol as well, but I think it takes more time to get at the top in the 25m Pistol Women event. But at the Olympic Games, I will be participating in both matches.”

 

And Frances Olympic hope Celine Goberville, ranked sixth in the world, will also be competing in both matches. She participated in 13 ISSF events throughout the last four years. And when she participates, there is always a good chance that she will enter the final (10 finals in the last Olympic cycle) and on then on the podium (three medals, one victory since 2009).

 

10m Air Pistol Women

Date of the Final in London: Sunday, 29.07.2012 at 11:45

 

Reigning Olympic Medallists

Rank

Name (NOC)

2008 Olympic Score

1

GUO Wenjun (CHN)

492.3 (390+102.3)

2

PADERINA Natalia (RUS)

489.1 (391+98.1)

3

SALUKVADZE Nino (GEO)

487.4 (386+101.4)

 

 

Current World Ranking Leaders

Rank

Name (NOC)

1

KOSTEVYCH Olena (UKR)

2

TIEN Chia Chen (TPE)

3

ARUNOVIC Zorana (SRB)

 

 

Current World Record Holder

Record

Name (NOC)

Score

Date

Competition

WR 

SMIRNOVA Svetlana (RUS)

393 

23.05.1998 

WC Munich (GER)

FWR 

REN Jie (CHN)

493.5 (390+103.5) 

22.05.1999 

WC Munich (GER)

 

 

Current Olympic Record Holder

Record

Name (NOC)

Score

Date

Competition

OR 

PADERINA Natalia (RUS)

391 

10.08.2008 

OG Beijing (CHN)

FOR 

GUO Wenjun (CHN)

492.3 (390+102.3) 

10.08.2008 

OG Beijing (CHN)

 

 

ISSF NEWS Magazine Super 25 Chart

Name (NOC)

  World  

 Olympic 

2009-2012 Results

  2009-2012  

Best Results

 Rank
  Participation  

Starts

Finals

Wins 

 Medals

Quali

Finals

KOSTEVYCH Olena (UKR)

1

2

13

11

4

8

392

101.8

GUO Wenjun (CHN)

13

1

11

6

2

5

392

102.4

YAUHLEUSKAYA Lalita (AUS)

5

4

19

10

 

4

388

101.8

ARUNOVIC Zorana (SRB)

3

0

14

6

2

3

389

101.8

HU Jun (CHN)

0

0

5

3

2

3

390

103.4

GOBERVILLE Celine (FRA)

6

0

13

10

1

3

389

101.5

CHAIKA Viktoria (BLR)

9

3

14

11

 

3

391

101.2

MARUSKOVA Lenka (CZE)

4

2

8

4

 

3

389

102.0

SALUKVADZE Nino (GEO)

21

6

13

6

1

2

391

103.7

MOZGALOVA Kira (RUS)

29

0

10

5

1

2

387

101.4

TONG Xin (CHN)

0

0

6

4

1

2

388

103.6

TIEN Chia Chen (TPE)

2

0

11

3

1

2

388

100.9

SUN Qi (CHN)

17

0

5

3

1

2

391

100.0

LEE Ho Lim (KOR)

57

1

9

4

 

2

388

101.3

BAIBUSSINOVA Zauresh (KAZ)

41

1

14

3

1

1

387

101.1

PARK Minjin (KOR)

120

0

6

3

1

1

385

102.2

TIRODE Stephanie (FRA)

37

1

11

2

1

1

389

100.8

SIDHU Heena (IND)

15

0

15

4

 

1

385

101.9

YASKEVICH Liubov (RUS)

19

0

10

4

 

1

385

102.7

ASPANDIYAROVA Dina (AUS)

28

2

12

4

 

1

389

100.2

BONEVA Antoaneta (BUL)

16

0

10

3

 

1

386

101.4

GROZDEVA Maria (BUL)

8

5

14

2

 

1

389

102.7

SUHONEN Mira (FIN)

22

1

11

2

 

1

389

100.8

SAGUN LEWANDOWSKA M. (POL)

0

3

7

2

 

1

389

102.3

PRUCKSAKORN Tanyaporn (THA)

7

1

7

1

 

1

387

99.4

SINGH Annu Raj (IND)

23

0

10

1

 

1

389

99.2

KIM Seon A (KOR)

0

0

2

1

 

1

384

99.9

 

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners