Published on 26 Oct 2009

25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men – Klimov claimed his second title

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Marco Dalla Dea

The Russian shooter outdid the World Ranking leader Reitz of Germany, claiming his second consecutive World Cup Final title. The Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing Reitz finished in second, followed by Japan’s Akiyama.

Russia’s Alexei Klimov secured his second, consecutive, ISSF World Cup Final title, winning the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol competition. The 34-year old Russian athlete climbed from the second place, making up the point of disadvantage he had form the qualification leader Reitz, to finish in first with a total score of 783.6 points (582+201.6). Klimov showed once again his aptitude for World Cup Finals: today’s victory followed the 2008 title, a Silver medal won in 2007 and a Gold claimed in 2006.

Klimov climbed the highest podium of the season defeating the current number one in the World Ranking, the 22-year old German record holder Christian Reitz. Reitz had qualified in the lead, but he placed himself in second by firing a couple of disappointing shots in the eighth ring on his last final series. The young Olympic Bronze medallist of Beijing ended up in second place, winning Silver with 780.9 points (583+197.9). Curiously, he had placed in second behind Klimov also last year, at the 2008 World Cup Final held in Bangkok.

Japan’s marksman Akiyama Teruyoshi, 37, claimed the Bronze medal, placing in third behind Klimov and Reitz with a total score of 779.1 points (580+199.1). The Japanese athlete outdid his direct opponent Magmet in the second relay, winning the second medal of his sport career after the Bronze he had grabbed at this year’s World Cup Stage of Beijing.

Akimara overtook the Indian shooter Vijay Kumar, who closed the match in fourth with 778.8 points, and the Olympic Champion of Beijing Oleksanr Petriv of Ukraine, who ended up in fifth with 775.6 points. After the Games, Petriv has never made it back to the podium, and he squeezed into this year’s World Cup Final by placing in fourth at the World Cup Stage in Milan.