The three biggest dreams of Jin Jongoh came true, today, at the 51st ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events in Granada, Spain.
With 192.3 points, the three-time Olympic Champion won the 50m Pistol Men final and claimed the world title, securing the only award missing in his trophies showcase. That was his dream since he started shooting, he said.
Along with the title, Jin was awarded an Olympic quota place for Rio 2016, that gives him a chance to compete in his fourth Olympic edition. Another great achievement, another dream turning into reality.
And then the dream of every pistol shooter: Jin broke “The Record”. That historical 581-point world record set in 1980 by Alexander Melentiev while representing the URSS at the Moscow Olympic Games - the longest-lasting shooting world record. Athletes form all over the world had been chasing that result since then. 34-years later, here in Granada, Jin finally made it: with 583 points he shattered Melentiev's milestone.
“Every time I shot a match, ever since I started competing, I have been trying to reach that result. It feels awesome.” Jin said, right after the final match.
“Winning the World Championship title is a great achievement for me. And I am happy to be the first Korean shooter to win a quota place for Rio 2016.” He added.
With five Olympic medals around his neck (3 Gold and 2 Silver), Jin is one of the two most titled pistol Olympian ever, tied to Germany's Rapid Fire shooter Ralf Schumann, and one gold medal ahead of China's Wang Yifu (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze).
As Schumann and Wang retired, Rio 2016 could turn into a unique chance for the 34-year old Korean athlete to move atop of the all-time Olympic pistol medal standings.
“The road to Rio is still long. I will have to shoot well in the next two years, to be there.” Jin modestly said. But nobody can imagine the strongest pistol shooter of the world not making it to Rio 2016. Not after today's result.
In Rio, he will most probably meet today's Silver medallist, India's Jitu Rai, 27, who pocketed one of the four Olympic quotas up for grabs with 191.1 points in the final.
Today's Bronze medal – and the third quota – went to the 2008 air pistol Olympic Champion Pang Wei, of the People's Republic of China, who closed the match in third place with 172.6 points.
Another expert athlete, Vietnam's 39-year old Hoang Xuan Vinh, secured the fourth available Rio 2016 Olympic quota place by placing in fourth with 150.3 points.
The title defender, Japan's Tomoyuki Matsuda, 38, ranked first in the world, did not make it, today. The Japanese athlete competed head and head with Ukraine's Pavlov Korostylov right to the 12th shot, when he was eliminated with a final score of 111.0 points, taking the sixth place.
Korostylov, a 16-year Youth Olympic Games champion participating in his first senior final in this event today, followed Matsuda two shots later, placing in fifth with 129.3 points.
Kim Jong Su, 37, from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a Silver medallist of the 2004 Olympic Games, took the eighth place with 72.7 points, after the eighth final shot. Two shots later, he was followed by the 2012 Olympic Silver medallist Choi Young Rae, 32, from the Republic of Korea, who placed in seventh with 91.4 points.
More than 2000 athletes coming form 94 countries are competing in the 51st ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events in Granada. The competition continues today: the next match – the 10m Air Rifle Women Final – will take place at 16.00 (Spanish time). Follow the match live on www.issf-sports.org