Published on 06 Oct 2024

Maccioni and Garcia win trap titles at ISSF Junior World Championships

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Andres Garcia was victorious for Spain in the men's trap, while Maria Teresa Giorgia Maccioni claimed the women's gold - and team titles went to Italy too - at the ISSF Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru.

Maria Teresa Giorgia Maccioni and Andres Garcia were crowned champions in the women's and men's trap on the penultimate day of the ISSF Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru.

 

Women's Trap

 

With a start like Maccioni's few may have thought she would be victorious by the end of the women's trap final, having missed three of her opening five shots, but by the time target 25 concluded, she was into the lead.

Her teammate Marika Patera and Kseniia Stepina were the early eliminations in sixth and fifth - and in that time, Maccioni had bridged a gap to her closest challenger, the top athlete in qualification Noelia Pontes Villarrubia of Spain. The pair held comfortable leads over eventual fourth-placed Aashima Ahlawat of India and the bronze medallist, Sofia Gori from Italy.

After Gori's elimination, Maccioni had a one-shot lead over Pontes, which turned into a two-shot lead with five targets to go. While Maccioni would twice to bring the gap back down, she remained ahead for the gold medal with the score finishing 39-38.

Considering all three athletes made the final, it was no surprise that Italy claimed the team gold medal with Gori, Maccioni and Patera finishing with a colossal total of 341. Britain's Madeleine Purser, Hollie Lumsden and Leah Southall were second on 324 and Spain's trio of Pontes, Irene Del Rey Ruiz and Africa Baena Sedano finished third on 322.

 

Men's Trap

 

Andres Garcia's great start in the men's trap was pivotal to his victory, a year on from missing the gold in a shoot-off. Missing just three times in his opening 25 targets, the Spaniard had a one-shot lead over Brazil's Hussein Daruich and Federico Martin Ruiz from Argentina. However, both of his nearest rivals would miss heavily in the next series. 

Martin Ruiz's misses would cost him a medal, finishing fourth ahead of Czech Republic's Ondrej Stastny and Luca Gerri from Italy. Thomas Agez would claim bronze, finishing strong but just short of Daruich. With 10 targets to go, Garcia had a three-shot lead. With a perfect first five, he had room for error. After Daruich missed the first of these final five shots, Garcia was on his way to win, with the score finishing 42-39.

Italy would again take the team gold medal with Gerri, Riccardo Mirabile and Matteo Dambrosi scoring a total of 347. Great Britain's William Gilbert, Thomas Betts and Robert Lewis were second on 344 and Spain were again third on 339 thanks to the efforts of Garcia, Cesar Moreno Rufo and Eduard Salichs.