USA's Joshua Richmond, 28, won the Double Trap Men final at the 51st ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events, in Granada, Spain, today.
Richmond passed through the semi-final with a perfect score of 30 hits out of 30 targets, and then defeated Antonino Barillà of Italy in the Gold medal match by shooting another perfect round, with 30 hits to Barillà's 29.
The American shooter had already won two Wolrd Championship titles: the first one back in 2005 – as a junior athlete – the second in 2010, at the last ISSF World Championship in all events in Munich, Germany.
“It's amazing to be back on top. The first one that I won was big: a great venue, crowded with people, with a quota spot on the line. The World Championship is always a great match, everybody is out there looking for a quota, and it's tough.” Said Richmond.
“To do it again four year laters it's amazing, I would have never guessed that.” He added.
Both Richmond and Barillà were awarded an Olympic Quota place, a qualification slot for Rio 2016.
Steven Scott of Great Britain, the reigning European and Commonwealth champion, finished today's final in third place with 27 hits in the Bronze medal match, enough to beat the two-time World Champion Daniele Di Spigno of Italy, fourth with 26 hits.
“Of course I came here to win and to obtain a quota, but I am definitely happy with the Bronze medal.” Said Scott after the final.
Following the medal-match contenders, world's #2 Hu Binyuan of the People's Republic of China and world's #1 Vitaly Fokeev of the Russian Federation closed the semi-final in fifth and sixth place, with 27 and 26 hits, respectively.
With two athletes in the final, the Italian team secured the teams' Gold medal (Barillà, Di Spigno, Davide Gasparini) with an equalled world record of 424 hits. Two targets more than what scored by USA (Richmond, Jeff Holguin, Walton Eller), Silver with 422 hits. The People's Republic of China increased its medal tally thanks to Hu Binyuna, Mo Junjie and Li Jun, who scored 418 hits taking the Bronze.