Published on 21 May 2016

Arsovic led the women’s 10m Air Rifle event in Munich, aiming at Rio

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Marco Dalla Dea

The Serbian shooter turned out to be unbeatable on the lines of the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich, Germany, where third ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Stage of the season is held from the 21st through the 25th of May.

The 2015 European Games champion Andrea Arsovic of Serbia, 29, secured today’s 10m Air Rifle Women gold medal, during the Day-1 of the ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Munich, Germany.


The Serbian athlete scored 208.5 points, climbing the scoreboard up to the lead with a great series of 10s, leaving behind her the winner of the 2015 Pan American Games Goretti Alejandra Zumaya Flores of Mexico (18), who took today’s Silver with 207.9 points (an equaled junior final world record).

 

“It has been a great competition for me. Of course there was a bit of pressure and stress, but I came here well prepared and focused on the goal, and I made it!” Arsovic said, after the match.

 

“All what I am doing now falls into the frame of Rio 2016. I am preparing for the Games, my aim is obviously to be ready for the most important competition of the year, and to be there in top conditions.”

 

“I will take every opportunity to compete internationally, in the lead up to the Games,” concluded the Serbian winner, who won the 2016 European Championship at the beginning of the season, and then placed 12 at the pre-Olympic test event in Rio de Janeiro, last month.

 

Shi Mengyao of the People’s Republic of China (18) - at her first appearance in an international competition - joined her and Zumaya Flores on the podium, collecting Bronze with 186.7 points.

 

Mongolia’s 21-year old finalist Gankhuyag Nandinzaya followed in fourth place with 163.7 points, after passing through a shoot-off against Virginia Thrasher, 19, from the United States of America (7th with 103.1 points).

 

Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Snjezana Pejcic, 33 - who arrived here in Munich after winning the 3-position rifle event at the previous world cup stage in Rio de Janeiro - did not reach the podium, today, eventually finishing in fifth with 143.5 points. She was followed by Austria’s Olivia Hofmann, 23, who closed the match in sixth with 124.0 points. Russia’s Anna Zhukova, 24, took the eighth and last place in the final, with 81.8 points, behind USA’s Thrasher. 

 

At the end of the ISSF World Cup Munich Day-1, the People’s Republic of China is leading the medal standings, with 3 medals (one of each color) out of 2 events. Serbia - thanks to Arsovic’s gold - follows in second.

 

The world cup stage - which sees 738 athletes coming from 88 countries competing - will continue tomorrow (22 May): the 50m Pistol Men final will be held at 11.15 (GMT+1), and will be followed by 25m Pistol Women final at 13.30. All finals will be broadcasted live on www.issf-sports.org