-1 to the Games. Italy’s Olympic hope, in 50m Rifle style.

For the first time in recent Olympic history an Italian shooter will start off the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men event as the favorite. Niccolò “Nicco” Campriani, a 25-year old athlete from Florence, ranks first in ISSF Magazine’s “Super 25 Chart”.

And it shouldn’t be any different: the young Italian leads the world ranking after his great successes during the last Olympic cycle. Campriani – who left Italy to study and train at West Virginia University, in the USA, has participated in the 13 World Cups, World Cup Finals and World Championship events since 2009, making it to 11 finals. And when Nicco competes in a medal match, he most certainly makes it to the podium, as numbers can confirm. Out of eleven 50m Rifle 3 Positions finals, Campriani won 8 medals, earning two Gold. His best qualification result (1180 points) and his best final (101.1 points) speak for themselves.

“One point can change the entire history of an Olympic cycle. At the last Olympic Games, one point dropped me out of the final, far from any medal chance,” Campriani said.

“This time I know what is all about. This is my second Olympics, and I have been working a lot next to great champions, so I feel prepared to face the challenge. But at the same time I don’t want to think about it,” the young Italian champion said, talking to the press 60 days before Games.

“I want to get to London as relaxed as possible. This is just a game, and my life goes beyond this. Right after the Olympics, I will start a Master’s Degree in Sports Engineering at the University in the UK,” said Campriani. His friend and “sparring partner”, American Olympic multi-medalist Matthew Emmons, will be the man to beat in London.

They know each other very well after training and competing together both in USA and internationally, and they will be meeting again on the lines of the Royal Artillery Barracks shooting venues next July. Emmons currently ranks 7^th in the world in this event, but he has already participated in two Olympics, and has gone through victories and frustrations, thus accumulating a vast amount of experience. Results are also on his side, with a personal best of 1184 points and a best final of 102.6 points in the last Olympic cycle between World Cups, World Cup Finals and World Championships.

Following the two protagonists, a number of skilled shooters are looking forward to the London Games, and to a spot in the final. Among them, Korean ace Han Jinseop, who entered 9 finals and finished 4 times on the podium between 2009 and 2012.

Serbian master Nemanja Mirosavljev, second in the World Rank, considered one of the best outdoor shooters of the world, will also be part of the match. As well as the USA’s Jason Parker, currently ranked third in world, who won the match at this year’s ISSF World Cup in Milan, or China’s 10m Air Rifle Olympic Champ Zhu Qinan, who declared to be focused on the 50m events this time.

And while looking forward to the 50m Rifle 3 Positions events we should not forget to mention the longest standing rifle shooter: Slovenia’s Rajmond Debevec, an eight-time Olympian who started his series of successes in 1984, winning and earning medals right up until the 2008 Beijing Games, when he obtained the Bronze.

Many contenders are lined up in this event, but only three spots will be available at London’s podium. We can only wait and see if the winning card will be the experience of older shooters, or the motivation of younger athletes.

50m Rifle 3 Positions Men

Date of the Final in London: Monday, 06.08.2012 at 13:45

Reigning Olympic Medallists

Current World Ranking Leaders

Current World Record Holder

Current Olympic Record Holder

ISSF NEWS Magazine “Super25 Chart”