The 2008 Olympic Champion Satu Makela-Nummela (44) won today's Trap Women final at the 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Larnaca, Cyprus, securing a Rio 2016 Olympic quota place.
The Finnish shooter beat Tatiana Barsuk of the Russian Federation (30) in the Gold medal match, shuttering 13 targets to Barsuk's 12.
The two finalists shot head and head throughout the whole match. They battled in a qualification shoot-off to get into the semi-final, and then tied atop of the scoreboard with 13 hits each. In the Gold medal match, Barusk moved in the lead right until the 13th target, when she missed two clays in a row putting herself in second place. Anyway, the Russian shooter secured the second Olympic qualification spot up for grabs at today's final.
Makela-Nummela, a two-time Olympian currently ranked 11th in the world, had been seeking for a quota since the Rio 2016 qualification path opened, at the 2014 ISSF World Championship in Granada, Spain.
“I happy, I feel lucky. Winning a quota place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was the goal to achieve here, and I am grateful that I finally made it.” The Finnish shooter said.
“Now it's easier. Having a quota place in my pocket, I can shoot without pressure, and compete in the next events with a clear mind. I am qualified for the Games and I am heading to Rio... I should take a samba dancing course!” Makela-Nummela said, smiling after the medal ceremony.
Spain's Fatima Galvez (28) pocketed today's Bronze, beating the Australian first-time finalist Emma Elizabeth Cox (22) at the end of spine-chilling shoot-off.
The two athletes tied with 9 hits at the end of the medal match, and then continued shooting in the tie-breaker. They both missed their first three shoot-off targets, and it was the fourth clay to decide the medal in favour of the Spanish shooter.
Galvez arrived here in Larnaca after finishing in second at last year's ISSF World Championship in Granada, on her home court, in Spain, where she also claimed one of the first Rio 2016 Olympic quota places to be awarded on the road leading to the next Games
Following the medals contenders, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Silver medallist Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova of Slovakia (31) and USA's 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist medallist Corey Cogdell (28) took the fifth and sixth places, with 10 targets each in the semi-final, after qualifying with 73 and 72 targets, respectively.
The 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Larnaca, Cyprus, will be concluded by the last medal march – the Trap Men final – tomorrow. The Finals will start at 17.30 (Cyprus time, EEST) and will be broadcasted live on www.issf-sports.org