The Russian shooter met USA's Eller in a Gold medal medal match again, as it had happened at the ISSF World Championship in Lima, one month ago. But this time it was Mosin who prevailed, rising the Cup at the end of a great season.
The 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist Vasily Mosin (RUS) won the Double Trap Men event at the 2013 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
The 41-year old Russian shooter form Kazan beat USA's 2008 Olympic Champion Walton Eller of USA, 30 to 29 hits.
Mosin qualified with 134 hits after passing through a shoot-off to access the Semi-Final. Then he cleared the semi-final with a perfect round, hitting 30 targets out of 30. Meeting Eller in the Gold medal match one month after the World Championship won by the American, Mosin hit 30 targets securing the World Cup title for the first time in his career.
Italy's Davide Gasparini, 23, the winner of this year's ISSF World Cup Stage in Granada, secured the Bronze medal, beating USA's 2010 World Champion Joshua Richmond 29 to 27 hits.
The second Russian finalist Vitaly Fokeev, who had qualified for this match by winning a World Cup Bronze in Granada this year, placed in fifth with 27 hits in the semi-final, while China's 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Hu Binyuan ended up in sixth with 26 hits.
Mosin closed in the best way a successful season, which saw him winning a World Cup Stage in Nicosia (CYP), an European Championship title in Suhl (GER) and a Silver medal at the ISSF World Championship in Lima.
“The job is done!” Mosin commented after the final, rising the ISSF Cup.
“During this year I've passed through a difficult match: the World Championship. I was there to win, and the Silver medal was not what I had been looking for. That's why I am so happy of today's victory.” The Russian shooter explained.
And it has been an hard job. “Here I felt really tired, after such a long season. - Mosin added - I started competing in February, and kept on shooting right to the end of October. To be on the podium from the beginning to the end feels great, but it hasn't been easy.”
Here in Abu Dhabi, Mosin met USA's Eller once again in a Gold medal match, as it had happened at the ISSF World Championship in Lima, one month ago, where the American shooter had prevailed. Did that add extra pressure on today's match? “My credo is: I am always competing against myself. No matter who's shooting next to me, I have to beat myself every time...” was Mosin's answer.
Time to rest now. The World Cup Final closed this season, and the champion is now planning to take a break before starting his preparation for 2014. But, before closing the 2013 file, Mosin makes a wish.
“The future is always full of surprises. But I hope the Double Trap discipline will stay as it is now. Now it's perfect: spectators and sportsman like it this way!”