“I am crazy about shooting!” That's the quote of the day, and the answer of Korea's Jin Jongoh when asked how he did he manage to win today's 50m Pistol Men final with 10.9 points of advantage on his followers.
And indeed he is “crazy about shooting.” The Korean 5-time Olympic medallist (3-time pistol Olympic Champ), adapted to the new rules as quick as possible, and came back atop of an international podium one year after his Olympic victory in London.
He was used to win finals with huge advantages before the ISSF rule changes, when the qualification score was carried into the final. Now that the finals start from zero, he didn't want to give up.
“The new rules are great for the spectators, but they put more pressure on the athletes. I guess this is the right way to promote the sport, but it makes it more difficult for us. Everybody is more stressed, I just try to keep calm and shoot at my best.”
And it payed off. Jin made it to the final after shooting 570 points during the qualifications. He started off the medal match with a great 10.6 shot, and then just kept on going. One shot after the other, he gained a final lead of 10.9 points over the silver medallist, Portugal's Joao Costa, pocketing the Gold medal with 200.7 points, to Costa's silver score of 189.8 points. Following them, the Bronze medal went to the 2008 Olympic 10m Air Pistol champion Pang Wei of China, who climbed upon today's podium with 170.1 points. The winner of the last two World Cup Stages Andrija Zlatic of Serbia placed fourth, with 150.4 points. The home shooter, Spain's Pablo Carrera, was the second to be eliminated after 10 shots and placed in seventh with 92.1 points.
Jin, 33, had won his last Gold medal in this event last August, at the 2012 Olympic Games. Almost one year ago. What has he been doing in the mean time? “I needed to relax a bit after the Games.” The five-time Olympic medallist said today. “Then, I started training for the new rules. Today it was my day. I had great feelings during the competitions, and I shot at my best during the final to score more than 200 points.”
What's coming in next? “I will be competing at the ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, next November. Then, I am looking forward to 2014 and to win an Olympic qualification slot...” Pressure back on his opponents: are they ready to stand the Korean's “crazy” scores?