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Finals 10m Air Pistol Women

Zavala: last-minute gold against Arunovic at 10m Air Pistol

ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Granada, ESP

Mexico's Zavala won the 10m Air Pistol Women event, overtaking Arunovic of Serbia at the last shot. Bronze for Kim Jangmi.

Alejandra Zavala of Mexico won today's Women's 10m Air Pistol final – becoming the first shooter of her country to win a Pistol gold in a World Cup, at her first try in a final round.


The match featured some surprising late-changes in the scoreboard - with Zavala, Arunovic and Kim alternating in 1
st position. It's all been decided in the very last competition round, when Zavala – a first-time finalist - scored a 10.4 shot which allowed her to outdo Serbia's Arunovic. Kim Jangmi of Republic of Korea won a bronze medal, after a neck and neck with her two opponents.


Kim Jangmi started off well, performing the highest score of the first round (31.4). Zavala took on the lead from the 2
nd series till the 11th shot, where an 8.9 put her in a tie for 1st place with Arunovic.


The first shooter to leave the final was
Sonia Franquet, who came 8th scoring 75.8 points, although she was competing in her home turf. The Spanish athlete was followed by Galina Orlovskaya: the 45-year-old of the Russian Federation (7th, 95.9 points) had overcome the 32-year-old Franquet in the previous round, when she had momentarily survived in the game by scoring a good 9.8-point shot. 


Celine Goberville - London 2012 Olympic Silver medallist - was the next shooter to be cut out (6th, 116.4 points) – because of a stunning 10.9 from Viktoria Chaika. The Belarus' - ISSF World Cup silver medallist at Munich 2013 – left the match anyway the next round, when Guo Wenjun scored 10.3 and decided Chaika's 5th place (137.7). The Chinese Guo - London 2012 and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist – finally placed 4th (158.6).


The podium places were determined after a never ending series of variations in the standings. Zavala broke the tie she was in at the 13
th shot, scoring an impressive 10.8, which gave her the lead over Arunovic and Kim. But the Serbian shooter didn't give up, first reaching Zavala (10.1) and then getting over her (10.3) – in the very next two shots. Zavala was then able to catch up again with Arunovic, leaving Kim Jangmi 0.5 points behind. The Korean shooter took 1st place at the 17th shot (thanks to a brilliant 9.7) but couldn't eventually hold the position - leaving the contest to Arunovic and Zavala.


The 26-year-old Arunovic was in 1
st right before the last shot, with 0.7 points more than Alejandra Zavala, who turned the tables just in time, shooting a 10.4 in the last round of the match, winning the final with a tight 0.1-point lead over Zorana Arunovic - ISSF World Cup silver medallist at Fort Benning 2013.


Zavala won gold at her debut: “I
've been looking forward to this result for a long time, – she said – now I want to train to finish well this Olympic cycle.” The Mexican shooter has started shooting when she was 14, but could already handle a pistol when she was 5: “That's because of my father, - she explained - he was a shooter and has been my trainer for many years.”


Now her coach is Juan Camillo, and she likes to analyse her trainings performances with him, as she said: “That's the best part of the day: I can improve myself, looking up at my mistakes. Also, finally relaxing!”


And with a gold medal, to relax will be even better.

 

Alessandro Ceschi

 

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