2011 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final opened in Wroclaw

Sparks

From the ISSF website:

2011 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final opened in Wroclaw



The best Rifle and Pistol shooters of the world met in Wroclaw, Poland, to compete in this year’s ISSF World Cup Final. The reigning World Champions, the title defenders and the best eighth World Cup competitions of the year will fight to secure the 2011 ISSF World Cup title starting from tomorrow morning right through the 24th of September.

Eighty-six athletes, coming from thirty-one countries (for a total of 99 starts), are competing in the 2011 Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final, which kicked off today in Wroclaw, Poland.

The event, with the first medal matches starting tomorrow, is the conclusive act of the 2011 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Series, which travelled from Sydney (AUS) to Changwon (KOR), passing through Fort Benning (USA) before landing in Munich (GER) where the last Rifle and Pistol Stage was conducted last June.

“The best shooters of the world are competing here for the 2011 ISSF World Cup Title. I am sure that the Organizers will provide the best possible conditions for this event.” The ISSF Secretary General - Mr. Franz Schreiber - said while declaring the Final officially opened, at today’s Opening Ceremony.

“We are happy to have you here on the recurrence of the 90th anniversary of the Polish shooting federation.” The President of the Polish shooting Federation, Mr. Tomasz Kwiecien said at the Opening Ceremony “We would like to thank the ISSF for entrusting us with the organization of this important competition.”

More than 2400 athletes participated in this year’s ISSF World Cup Series, and 96 Olympic Quota Places – the entrance tickets to the 2012 London Olympics - were distributed since March.

Only the best made it through and arrived to compete here in Wroclaw: the top eighth World Cup competitors of the year (qualified through a points system), the reigning world champions and the 2010 World Cup title defenders are eligible to participate in the competition, upon invitation of the organizers.

The first three medal matches, the 50m Rifle Prone Men, the 50m Pistol Men and the 25m Pistol Women finals will take place tomorrow, starting from 12.00 (GMT+1). Follow the event on www.issf-sports.org!

Schedule of the 2011 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final: http://www.issf-sports.org/calendar/championship_schedule.ashx?cshipid=1183

Qualified athletes: http://www.issf-sports.org/results/wcf_qualification/portraits_riflepistol.ashx

Marco Dalla Dea

Sparks

Opening ceremonies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgGN49z2Z2w

And the interview with the winner of the 50m Men's prone rifle final (Martynov):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97wHknTRUEM

Sparks

Interview with the winner of the Women's 25m pistol match:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2zGhXNYbhk

Sparks

Interview with the 50m Men's Pistol winner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqiVpLJ9OY

Sparks

50m Mens Prone Rifle highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ZPfubywkY

Sparks

Unedited 50m Mens Prone Rifle finals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOLoqJxugk0

25m Women's Pistol final highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIgHg33Roxs

Unedited 25m Women's Pistol finals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Sbq5qYlU4

Unedited Men's 50m Pistol finals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb2wk8f3nxM

Sparks

25m Rapid Fire Pistol uncut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z962oFUFxg

25m Rapid Fire Pistol Interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw3q3kBzoLc

Sparks

50m Mens Three-position Rifle highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFBuR5iwWHE

50m Mens Three-position Rifle interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ4kWoTbgJE

50m Mens Three-position Rifle uncut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7F09sdYywM

Sparks

50m Womens Three-position Rifle highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2jcUAsC1c4

50m Womens Three-position Rifle interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb3gMwJ6PKs

50m Womens Three-position Rifle uncut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTWThEU060M

Sparks

10m Mens Air Pistol uncut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOUN4P_jldQ

10m Mens Air Pistol interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL6Ftx0VLwg

Sparks

10m Mens Air Rifle Finals uncut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rulh8VUfaIk

Sparks

10m Mens Air Rifle interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=romTG8idEeM

Kryten

Really like the new pistol final format!

Sparks

I was quite impressed by the air rifle finals myself - Zhu setting a new world record, and Gonci and Campriani duelling it out for silver and bronze right up to the last shot.

It wasn't me!

That was a great final alright. Shame about Zhu's last shot. I'd say that stung badly. He went 56 inner tens straight in the main match before shooting a loose one though. Just awesome.

Sparks

That last shot was the one where you learnt the most about him though - that's the most I've ever seen him break after a bad shot, ever. Absolutely fantastic mental stability.

Sparks

From the ISSF website:

Zhu set a new 10m Air Rifle Men final world record



China’s 2004 Olympic Champ won his fourth ISSF World Cup Final by setting a new, great, Air Rifle final world record. Following him, world champion Campriani pocketed the Silver, and Hungary’s Sidi Peter finished on the podium at the last shot by scoring today’s highest final.

The 2004 Olympic Champion and 2008 Olympic Silver medallist Zhu Qinan of China gave his best at today’s 10m Air Rifle Men event, at the 2011 ISSF World Cup Final, held in Wroclaw (POL) from the 18th through the 24th of September.

The Chinese champion won the medal match, setting a new Final World Record of 703.8 points that shattered the previous record of 703.5 points set by India’s Gagan Narang at the 2008 World Cup Final in Bangkok.

Zhu made it into today’s medal match with an outstanding equalled world record of 600 points after a perfect qualification match.

Shooting the final with ease, with two points of margin on his followers, he finished in first after scoring 103.8 points, setting the new world record.

26-year old Zhu, ranked third in the world before today’s match – but probably the best Air Rifle shooter of the world at the moment - had won the 2009, the 2007 and the 2004 World Cup Finals, and finished on the podium in 2006 and 2008. Winner of 11 World Cup gold medals, he participated in 22 ISSF World Cup Stages, winning 18 medals, since his career started in 2003.

Following him in second place, the Silver medal went to Italy’s World Champion Niccolò “Nicco” Campriani, who finished on the podium with 701.4 (598+103.4) points. Campriani had pocketed a Silver medal also at yesterday’s 50m Rifle 3 Position Men competition.

Hungary’s Peter Sidi secured the Bronze medal at the last shot. Shooting today’s highest score in the final, 104.0 points, the 33-year old Hungarian shooter climbed from the sixth to the third place, ending up on the podium with a total of 701.0 points. With a last great shot of 10.7 points, he overtook a disappointed Jozef Gonci, who lost the medal by firing an 8.6 on his last shot.

While Slovakia’s Gonci closed the match in sixth, with 700.4 points, it was Israel Sergey Rikhter the most disappointed shooter of today’s final. The 22-year old Israeli shooter finished indeed in seventh place, with 699.4 points, after being penalized with a two-point deduction for not reporting in time for the final. With those two missing points, he would have finished in second, tied to Campriani.

MDD

That last paragraph is a kicker!