Two first-time world champions were elected in the two 10m Running Target men events, which both delivered their title at the Changwon International Shooting Centre in Changwon (KOR).
10m Running Target Men
After placing 2nd at the 2018European Championship in Gyor (HUN), 24-year-old Swedish athlete Jesper Nyberg confirmed his fantastic moment at the ISSF World Championship (KOR), where he entered the gold medal match and beat his experienced rival Maxim Stepanov of the Russian Federation.
Winning five of the last six shots, Nyberg signed a 6-to-3 victory that brought him atop the podium, leaving Stepanov in 2nd place with the silver medal around his neck.
The bronze medal was awarded to Russian Federation’s Vladislav Prianishnikov, who prevailed over his multi-decorated rival Lukasz Czapla of Poland with the score of 6 to 4. In the two semifinals, Stepanov bested his teammate Prianishnikov 6 to 3, while Nyberg beat Czapla 6 to 2.
On the team podium, the Russian Federation placed 1st and secured the brightest medal with 1734 points. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea followed in silver medal position with 1722, while Sweden took bronze with 1718.
10m Running Target Men Junior
In the 10m Running Target Men Junior event, 19-year-old Kris Grossheim of Germany climbed atop the men’s junior podium and beat Ukraine’s Danylo Danilenko with the score of 7 points to 5 at the end of a rollercoaster-like gold medal match.
Indeed, after the Ukrainian 16-year-old grabbed the first point of the match, Grossheim prevailed for five consecutive shots, inching closer and closer to the gold medal. There, Danilenko reacted with pride, tying the score at 5 and heating up the crowd.
Grossheim, however, fired two consecutive shots in the 10th ring, signing a 7-to-5 victory and securing his first international gold medal. Danilenko’s silver is his second medal at the ISSF World Championship in Changwon.
In the bronze meda match Maksym Babushok won a Ukrainian derby against his teammate Denys Babliuk, taking 3rd place with the score of 6 to 3. In the two semifinals, Danilenko bested Babliuk 7 to 5, while Grossheim beat Babushok 6 to 2.
No official medal was awarded in the team event, as it failed to reach the minimum number of participants. Ukraine, however, placed 1st with 1695 points, while the Russian Federation concluded in 2nd position with 1575.
The ISSF World Championship in Changwon (KOR) will continue tomorrow with three more finals: the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior, scheduled at 12:45 pm (UTC+9:00), the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men, taking place at 2:30 pm, and the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior, scheduled at 4:00 pm.
Footage of the Olympic events will be distributed worldwide via EBU and broadcasted live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel and on its official Facebook page.
Live results, news and updates will be available on www.issf-sports.org and on all ISSF social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Weibo and Youku.