Making it to the final with a huge advantage, the Czech Olympic medallist secured the ISSF World Cup Final trophy with ease, leaving Poland’s Bogacka and China’s Du behind her.
The 2012 ISSF Rifle & Pistol World Cup Final, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 22nd to the 28th of October, continued with the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event, today.
Adela Sykorova of Czech Republic pocketed the Gold medal, and secured the ISSF World Cup trophy, with an overall score of 684.3 points.
The 25-year old Olympic Bronze medallist turned out to be the best during the morning’s qualifications. With a score of 587 points (and 33 inner tens), she made it to the final round in first place, with 7 points of advantage on her followers.
Shooting with such a head start over the other finalists, Sykorova scored 97.3 points in the 10-shot final, and closed the match in the lead, securing the Cup.
“I was a bit nervous during the final,” The young champion said “I did well in the qualfications, but the final match it’s always different, and that’s why I did not score at my best in the last ten shots.”
“This has been a great year.” Sykorova continued. “After the Olympics, and after this World Cup Final, I will hopefully take some time off.”
“We did not plan the next season. I would participate in all the ISSF World Cup Stages, but it’s a matter of finances… We will decide later on where I will be compete next year.”
Nobody could catch the winner up, today. The 10m Air Rifle Olympic Silver medallist, Poland’s Silwia Bogacka, 31, finished in second place, securing a spot on the podium with 680.7 points. After qualifying in second place with 580 points, she marked 100.7 points in the final, closing the match with a great 10.8 shot. But that was not enough to make up the huge disadvantage of 7 points she had from Sykorova after the qualifications.
China’s 2008 Olympic Champion Du Li followed in third. Shooting consistently, and marking today’s best score in the final, she climbed up from the fourth place to win the Bronze with 679.8 (578+101.8) points. On her way to the podium, Du overtook the 1998 World Champion Sonja Pfeilschifter of Germany.
Pfeilschifter – who had qualified for the final in third with 579 points – scored 100.4 points during the medal match, ending up in fourth with a total of 679.4 points: not enough for the podium, today.
She was followed by the 2012 Olympic Silver medallist Ivana Maksimovic of Serbia, who placed in fifth with a total score of 679.4 (577+99.1) points. Anna Sushko of Russia, Stephanie Obermoser of Austria, and Daria Vdovina of Russia placed in sixth, seventh and eighth place with 669.8, 669.5 and 664.4 points, respectively.