We'd already had a glimpse earlier this year of what Ian Rupert was all about. Just a hard working athlete, with not much talks, and a lot of focus on the game. "I like Double Trap," Ian would say on 20 March 2013 in Acapulco, Mexico, after winning bronze at the ISSF World Cup, which meant for him his debut in a final phase of a senior competition. "I mean, I like it 'cause it's quick and easy."
And, asked about his secret, USA's 19-year-old star would be not even close to beat around the bush: "I train a lot," he explained. "And that is just it."
In March it was a bronze in Acapulco. Now, different location (Lima, Peru), better outcome (gold) - same secret: hard work. "I've shot a lot," said Ian.
"7 days a week for probably the past 3 weeks, so definitely, just the more shots down range, the more experience."
But even when there's not a competition within the month, Ian wouldn't quit training: "Then, I'd shoot probably 3 to 5 days a week, about 250 shots per day."
And, then, naturally comes the question: "How many shots do you fire in a year?"
"I've no idea," he answers laughing. "Haven't set down to count it. Just keep training."
So, here in Lima came the first gold for Ian: "Tough match, tough day," he commented on his win in the Double Trap Men Junior event at the World Championship, or what he described as "probably one of the hardest competition I've shot in yet throughout my whole career."
"I started out really good on my first three rounds (85 hits out of 90 targest, Ed.), then struggled a little bit but brought it back in the end. It was really hard to see, the sun kept going in and out, so you really had to focus."
Rupert focused, and - in order to pull it off successfully - had to deal with Jacopo Trevisan: the Italian athlete had got real close to Rupert, when - in the fourth competition round - he had wiped out Ian's 5-target lead in just one single round, catching up with him in first place.
That same round was critical for James Dedman of Great Britain, who failed to keep his third place, leaving it to Russia's Kirill Fokeev (who eventually stayed there and won bronze).
The last round of the game was crucial to break the tie at the top scoreboard between Rupert and Trevisan: the American shooter did slightly better then 20-year-old of Italy - beating him by a 1-target lead.
Rupert's gold was enough to make the USA win the Team contest with an overall score of 382 and three shooters in the Top-10 (other than the gold medallist, Crawford was 5th and Wilkoski 10th); then came Russia (377), mainly thanks to Fokeev and Zagumennov (6th); finally, Jacopo Trevisan's Italy (372), also helped by Andrea Vescovi, 9th, and Lorenzo Belei, 13th.