Silvana Stanco collected another first time. She had already had one, just a few months ago. That was in Acapulco – last March – when she had taken Trap's 3rd place, stepping for the first time onto an ISSF podium - right at her World Cup debut (and at the first ever Shotgun event featuring semi-final and medal matches!).
But she wasn't done yet. The 20-year-old shooter just won the Women's Trap event in Nicosia. The gold medal match ended after a neck and neck between her and Catherine Skinner – the 23-year-old Al Ain silver medallist (in the same event) and member of the promising Australian Team. 14 to 9 hits was the final result which gave Silvana her very first World Cup gold medal ever.
A great accomplishment, actually come quite unexpectedly. “Winning gold surprised me. Really, last week I hadn't even trained!” - says Silvana. Not because of arrogance. It was just lack of time: “I still got 2 years of college – explains the Italian shooter – and I just can't go to the shooting range but on the weekend. From Monday to Friday, I'd be always going to classes or studying.” Anyway, the little practice she had in Nicosia was actually enough for her to secure the best place on the podium. Even if it the day before the match she wasn't too confident in a good result: “I was shooting horribly so I was a bit worried, but Coach Pera was told me the next day I would have done better”. And she did.
What is Silvana studying? Foreign Languages. Seems the right choice for such a globetrotter as she is. Indeed - her father is Italian - she is living in Switzerland and training in France.