The 2014 ISSF World Championship silver medallist and world's #6 Antonino Barillà of Italy (27), claimed today's Double Trap Men gold at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Larnaca, Cyprus.
The Italian athlete beat Guatemala's first-time world cup finalist Enrique Brol (36) - ranked 30th in the world in this event – in the Gold medal match, with 29 hits to Brol's 27.
Today's turned out to be Barillà's first world cup medal: in spite of competing on the international scene since 2005, the 27-year old shooter had indeed never placed better than fourth in a world cup contest.
Barillà sailed through the qualification by hitting 146 targets, better than anybody else, and then scored a perfect round of 30 hits in the semi-final to access the medal match.
“I feel really really good: this is my first world cup medal ever.” The Italian said. “Throughout the last two years I made it to the finals several times, finishing close to the medals. But close is not enough: I never climbed upon the podium. It has been terrible: I was there, but could not make it.”
“Today I was quite concentrated and calm, as I already have a Rio 2016 quota place. So I shot at my best, and I very happy of the outcome. It has been an amazing competition, with three 30s in the qualifications, and then I shot another full round in the semi-final, just to finish with a good 29 in the medal match. That was enough to win.” Added Barillà.
Today's winner did not participate in the first two world cup of the season, but his first day out on the ISSF ranges turned out to be a good one. “This is my first world cup match of the year, as Italy needed to achieve the second quota place, and I already had won one at last year's world championship. My teammates secured the Italy's second and last quota in Al Ain, and therefore today I got my first chance to qualify for the world cup final.” He said.
With an Olympic qualification card in his pocket, and a world cup gold around his neck, Barillà is now looking forward to the rest of the season, in the lead-up to Rio. “I will prepare for the European Games in Baku, and then I hope I will be going to the ISSF World Championship in Lonato, Italy, in September. I will continue to work to improve my shooting, and I would like to thank my sponsors Perazzi and Fiocchi for their support.”
As Barillà was out of the quota place game, the first Rio 2016 qualification spot to be assigned today went to Silver medallist Enrique Brol of Guatemala, who clinched a pass to the Olympicss at his very first ISSF world cup final round with 144 hits in the qualifications, 29 hits in the semi-final and 27 targets in the medal match.
The second Rio 2016 quota went to Pan Qiang (30) of the People's Republic of China, who beat Great Britain's Steven Scott (30) in the Bronze medal match by 29 to 28 hits.
Indeed, Cyprus must be Pang's lucky spot: the Chinese shooter had won his last world cup medal in Nicosia, the capital, back in 2013. Today, he cleared the qualifications in fifth place with 141 hits, and - as the scores were set back to zero at the beginning of the semi-final - he climbed up the scoreboard with 28 hits, accessing the medal match.
Following him and fourth placed Scott, Italy's Davide Gasperini (25) took the fifth place with 26 targets in the semi-final, while it was London 2012's Olympic silver medallist Hakan Dahlby (49) from Sweden, who took the sixth place with 23 hits.
The 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Larnaca, Cyprus, will continue with the men's and women's Trap events. The next medals will be awarded at the Trap Women finals, taking place on the 2nd of May at 17.30 (Cyprus Time, EEST). The match will be broadcasted live on www.issf-sports.org