Tore Brovold ruled today’s Skeet Men match, the closing final of the 2013 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Al Ain. And it’s a come back: the Norwegian shooter had won his last ISSF World Cup back in 2010,
The 42-year old champion made it to today’s semi-final after scoring a new world record of 124 hits, just one target short of his own personal record of 125 hits, established with the old rules.
After clearing the semi-final with a perfect score of 16 hits, Brovold met and defeat his 23-year old teammate Tom Beier Jensen in the Gold medal match, 16 to 15 hits.
“It has been a fight!” Brovold said, right after the final.
“It ‘s a nice feeling to compete for the Gold against my teammate. I am glad that we both made it to the podium, but I am also glad that I am atop of it. I am still capable of keeping the rookies behind me.” The winner said, with a smile on his face.
Brovold seemed to be unbeatable today. First he set a world record, then shot two perfect series in the semi-finals and the Gold medal match. But that’s not enough for the champion.
“Setting the new World Record pays off. But I have missed one target.” Said the Norwegian sharp shooter, who was holding a perfect 125-hit world record, before the rules changes, which zeroed all the Skeet Men records achieved before 1 January 2013.
“I have only missed one target, in the whole competition. Starting from the pre-event training right to the last final shot, I’ve missed one target. It has been a nice match, but I am looking for that target.”
“I will be competing in Cyprus, at the next ISSF World Cup, next June. But I still don’t have a plan for the whole season.”
The Silver medal to his teammate Tom Beier Jensen, 23, who had never made it to a final before, in spite of taking part in ISSF World Cups since 2009. After qualifying with 123 hits + 16 hits in a shoot-off, he scored 15 targets in the semi-final, securing then Silver with 15 hits in the Gold medal match.
“I have been shooting since I was 10-year old. I could not imagine I was going to secure a World Cup medal, at that time!”
“Training in Norway, with 5 Celsius, and then competing here in Al Ain, where the temperature peaked up to 35, made it difficult. I am happy that I am through it!”
Joining the two teammates on the today’s Skeet Men podium, it was Germany’s Ralf Buchheim, who won the Bronze medal.
The 29-year old shooter secured a spot on the podium after setting a new World Record of 124 hits during the qualifications, and then beating Cyprus’ Georgios Achilleos in the Bronze medal match by 15 to 14 hits.
Ralf, the son of that Michael Buchheim who won an Olympic Bronze in Skeet at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, has been competing since 2001. Since then, he competed in 19 ISSF World Cup Stages, but he had never finished on the podium, yet.
Kazakhstan Vladislav Mukhamediyev and China’s Shuai Tang placed in fifth and sixth place, today, with 12 hits each in the semi-final. Earlier on, during the qualifications, Mukhamediyev has set a new world record of 124 hits.