The 2014 ISSF World Cup Final bronze medallist Chang Jing of the People's Republic of China ruled today's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women event, winning the match with a record-breaking score of 463.3 points.
The 28-year old Chinese shooter led the match since the Kneeling fraction of the final, leaving few chances to her opponents.
Wolrd's #1 Croatia's Snjezana Pejcic (32) – who held the world record record until today's final - tried to catch her up, but Cheng nailed one excellent series after the other, finishing the final match in the lead with 2.1 points of advantage.
Pejcic, who arrived here after winning both the Air Rifle and the 3 Positions finals at the last world cup stage, as well as an Air Rifle silver medal here in Fort Benning two days ago, landed in second place with 461.1 points. Not enough: the final world record of 463.0 points she had set in Changwon just 34 days ago, was shuttered by Chang's score.
“Fort Benning is my lucky place. Last year I won a Gold and a Silver medal here. This is one of my favourite places to compete.” Said the Chinese winner, who has been one of the most consistent rifle shooters throughout the last two seasons.
“I didn't expect to break the final world record. I am not even sure if I have ever scored it back home.” She admitted. Scores, indeed, are not her only goal. There's a bigger plan, loojing forward to Brazil.
“The goal of the 2015 season is to prepare for Rio 2016. The Olympic Games are ahead of us and I am using every chance to get ready for it. I am still not sure if I will have the chance to represent my country at the Games – as we have selection matches in China – but I am trying my best to be atop of the list.”
Following Chang and Pejcic, Barbara Engleder of Germany (32) took today's Bronze medal with 449.8 points, leaving Italy's Petra Zublasing (25) - ranked second in the world – in fourth place with 437.7 points.
Chang's teammates Yi Siling (26) and Fang Chen (23) took fifth and sixth place, with 425.2 and 413.4 points, respectively.
The two Rio 2016 Olympic Quota Places assigned by the ISSF went to USA's Amy Sowash (30), who took the seventh place with 403.3 points, and to Kazakhstan's first-time finalist Yelizaveta Korol (20), eighth with 398.7 points.