-4 to the Games. 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women, the unpredictable match

Two German team-mates, the veteran Sonja Pfeilschifter and the younger Olympic hope Barbara Engleder (maiden name Lechner) have a duel at the top of the world ranking, and they will most certainly meet in London.

Pfeilschifter, 41-years old, has the experience of a four-time World Champion and six-time World Cup Final winner. But she also has the bad experience of being a long-standing champion who has never won an Olympic medal. Competing in the Games since Barcelona 1992, her best placement was a fourth place in Sydney 2000. In Beijing, she did not even make it into the final. And, just as in 2008, she is approaching the Olympics with a series of good results (11 starts, 8 finals, 7 medals, 3 victories in the last 4 years), as well as a lot of pressure.

“She’s supposed to win, and that’s a difficult situation. Sonja knows that the spotlights will be on her during the Games and that could stress her out, like it happened in 2008…” a commentator said.

On the other hand, Barbara Engleder is ready to take off. The 30-year old shooter is the current World Champion and won last year’s World Cup Finals. In 2012, she won the pre-Olympic ISSF World Cup held at the Royal Artillery Barracks venue in London last April, showing confidence while competing in the impressive arena.

“This is a beautiful venue, it’s a great facility. Of course it has been cold and windy these days, which is not nice. But that turned into an advantage for me, as I am good when it comes to shooting in the wind,” Barbara said on that occasion, wearing the Gold.

But the two German team-mates will not be alone out there. The USA’s Jamie Lynn Gray (maiden name: Beyerle) finished under the spotlights more than once, and with a personal best of 593 points and a best final of 101.5 in the last Olympic cycle she places in second in ISSF NEWS Magazine’s “Super 25 Chart”.

The current Olympic Champion of China, Du Li, is also ready to take any chance to step on the podium. Even though she did not win any official ISSF competition in this event in the last four years, she has made it to 5 final matches, finishing on the podium four times, which proves she is one of the best 3 positions shooters of the world. Exactly like the 2008’s Olympic Silver medalist Katerina Emmons, who recently climbed back to the top of the world ranking and could be the surprise of these Games.

50m Rifle 3 Positions Women

Date of the Final in London: Saturday, 04.08.2012 at 12:45

Reigning Olympic Medallists

Current World Ranking Leaders

Current World Record Holder

Current Olympic Record Holder

ISSF NEWS Magazine “Super25 Chart”