The 2004 Olympic Champion and 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Alexey Alipov of Russia, 34, won today’s Trap Men Final at the ISSF World Cup in Shotgun events in Dorset (UK). Alipov left no chances to his opponents, hitting 23 out of 25 targets during the final round, while his opponents dropped several targets.
“I made it into the final passing through a shoot-off, and I was really nervous – said Alipov right after the medal ceremony. After scoring 121 targets during the qualifications, he squeezed into the final match winning a shoot-off with 10 targets – As the final started I found my rhythm, and I calmed down controlling each and every target. This is my second podium, this year, I couldn’t be happier!” concluded Alipov, who had placed in second at the last World Cup Stage in Beijing.
The three Olympic medallists of the 2008 Games in Beijing fought for today’s medals, during today’s Trap Men final, winning the applauses of the numerous English spectators crowding Dorset’s final range. Shooting head to head with Alipov, Italy’s Pellielo and Czech Republic’s Kostelecky tried to climb upon the highest step of the podium.
Italy’s Giovanni Pellielo, Olympic Silver of Beijing, started the final match in the lead with the highest qualification score of 123 hits. But the 40-year old Italian champion quickly slid down in the placements by dropping two out of the first three targets, eventually landing in sixth and last place with a total score of 139 targets (123+16).
Beijing’s Olympic Champion Davi Kostelecky of Check Republic, shot neck and neck with Alipov right to the twenty-fourth final target, when he missed one finishing in a shoot-off for the Silver medal against China’s Yu Xiaokai.
21-year old Yu, who had never made it into an ISSF World Cup final round before, did not hesitate in front of the Olympic Champion, and hit his first shoot-off target. Kostelecky shooting in second, dropped his target, placing himself in third place to wear the Bronze medal with 143+1 targets. Yu, surrounded by his teammates, climbed on the second step of the podium, winning his first ISSF medal with a total score of 143+2 targets.
The home shooter Aaron Heading won the applauses of the British spectators, finishing his first ISSF final round ever in fourth place with 142 hits (after squeezing into the final with 121+10 targets). He was followed by Spain’s Alberto Fernandez, fifth with 140 hits.