For the third time in two days of competitions, the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China resounded in the Finals Hall of the Munich shooting range. This time it happened after 25m Pistol Women shooter Zhang Jingjing prevailed over Thailand’s Tanyaporn Prucksakorn in the Gold medal match.
"Even if I am the reigning world champion and I have an Olympic quota place, there's always a lot of pressure in these international competitions” Said Zhang after receiving the medal. "Munich is a special place for me. I always shoot high scores here, it's one of my favorite places to compete.”
"I am extremely happy that I claimed another medal for my country, and I hope I will win many more in the future! I love shooting sport, I have always been interested in it. It's a family thing, as also my father was a shooter. It's an addictive sport, and I chose the Pistol even if I think it's one of the most challenging.” She concluded.
Both Zhang and Prucksakorn qualified for the final matches after shooting consistently throughout the whole semifinal, as they concluded every single 5-shots-series with three or more hits. Zhang, the reigning World Champion got into the Gold medal match with 19 hits, while the two-time Olympian Prucksakorn scored 16. In the final match, however, Zhang led since the first series and sealed her Gold medal with a 7-to-1 victory.
The Thai athlete, anyway, consoled herself with the first Olympic quota place at stake at today’s final, booking a ticket to take part in her third Summer Olympics after Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
In the Bronze medal match, Yuliya Alipova of the Russian Federation claimed the third place after beating Bulgaria’s Antoaneta Boneva, the Silver medallist in this event at the latest World Cup stage in Fort Benning, with a final score of 7 points to 5. After the semifinal, which they both concluded with 14 hits, 39-year-old Alipova already guaranteed herself the second and last Olympic slot for Rio 2016 to be assigned today.
“I am very happy for the medal and for the Olympic quota! Even if I was sure about it after the semifinal, I wasn’t relaxed in the medal match. When it comes to shooting I am never relaxed.” Said Alipova after receiving the podium ceremony.
“My husband is a shooter too, a shotgun shooter [Alexey Alipov, Ed.], and it’s very hard to manage the two different schedules. Especially because we have two children. Anyway, we will have internal national selection for Rio 2016, and if we both end up being selected it will be our fourth Olympiad together!” Concluded the Russian athlete.
Ukraine’s Olena Kostevich, the London 2012 Bronze medallist in this event, ended just two points outside of the medal matches, mostly because of a disappointing 1-hit third series. She then concluded in 5th place with a final score of 12 hits.
Despite the warm support she received from the home crowd, Germany’s two-time Olympic Bronze medallist Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, 45, also failed to qualify for the medal matches and closed in 6th place with a final score of 10 hits; following her, 32-year-old Oksana Kaminska of Ukraine, who recorded her World Cup best placement by finishing 7th with 9 hits.
Finally, with a total score of 7 hits, Switzerland 46-year-old Heidi Diethelm Gerber placed eighth.
The ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup will continue tomorrow with the 50m Rifle Prone Men final, scheduled to take place at 10:30AM (GMT+2). As usual, the final will be broadcasted live on www.issf-sports.org.