ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Changwon - Competition wrap-up

Hui Zicheng from the People's Republic of China won the last match of the 2015 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Changwon (KOR), the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men event. The 25-year old shooter came back atop of the ISSF podium after six years, beating USA's Matthew Emmons and South Korea's Han Jinseop to win Gold with a score of 457.3 points.

More than 570 athletes coming from 68 countries participated in the Changwon’s ISSF World Cup stage from the 9th through the 15th of April, setting a new participation record for an ISSF event organized in South Korea.

The best shooters of the world gathered here, trying to secure one of the 24 Rio 2016 Olympic Quota Places to be assigned by the ISSF during the competition. Furthermore, Changwon attracted even more participants as it is the designed host of the next ISSF World Championship in all events, which will be held in 2018 on the lines of a completely new range to be constructed on the site of the existing venue.

The first medals and Olympic quotas of the world cup stage were assigned on the 10th of April, as Hungary’s Peter Sidi won the 10m Air Rifle Men event. The competition continued the following day with three more medal matches: Zhang of the People’s Republic of China triumphed at the men’s 50m Pistol event, while Croatia’s Pejcic and Mongolia’s Otryad won the women’s 10m Air Rifle and 25m Pistol finals.

On the 12th of April, USA pocketed an Olympic Quota at the 50m Rifle Prone Men event, thanks to the three-time Olympic medallist Matthew Emmons. Later on the same day, the five-time Olympic medallist and local hero Jin Jongoh triggered rounds of applauses as he claimed Gold at the 10m Air Pistol Men final setting a new world record of 206.0 points on his home turf.

Croatia’s Snjezana Pejcic finished in the spotlights once again on the 13th of April, as she won her second world cup gold medal back-to-beck in less than one week at the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event, beating some of the strongest rifle shooters of the world. Minutes later, it was the turn of Russia’s 2012 Olympic finalist Liubov Yaskevich to come back atop of an ISSF podium at the 10m Air Pistol Women medal match.

Another world record was scored yesterday, April 14th, at the second-last final match of this world cup stage, by France’s Jean Quiquampoix, the 19-year old athlete who won his first senior 25m Rapid Fire Pistol men final establishing at the same time a new junior world record of 29 hits.

After ten events, the People’s Republic of China closed the world cup stage atop of medal standings with 2 Gold medals, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze, for a total of six awards. Croatia followed in second, thanks to the two Gold medals won by the unstoppable rifle shooter Pejcic. The host country - the Republic of Korea - ranked third with a remarkable total of six medals (one Gold, two Silver, 3 Bronze).

Speaking at a reception offered by the Major of Changwon Sang-soo Ahn, the ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña said: “We should thank the city of Changwon and the Korea Shooting Federation for their hospitality and for their effortless work in favour of the our sport.”

“I will see you all again at the next ISSF World Championship in all Shooting events in 2018, we are looking forward to it. I am expecting that it will be the best championship in the history of our sport.” The ISSF President added.

The 2015 ISSF World Cup Series will now continue in Larnaca, Cyprus, where the next Shotgun World Cup stage will be held from 24th of April through the 4th of May. As for Changwon, all finals will be broadcasted live by the ISSF on its official website, www.issf-sports.org

Medal standings after 10 of 10 events

Rio 2016 Quota Places assigned – by event

ISSF World Cup in Changwon (KOR) – Medallists by event

ISSF World Cup in Changwon (KOR) – Final World Records

ISSF World Cup in Changwon (KOR) – Final Junior World Record