Published on 16 Aug 2008
Skeet Men Final – 19-year old HANCOCK shot Gold duelling with BROVOLD
Marco Dalla Dea
The phenomenon HANCOCK of USA won Gold in the Skeet Men event, battling to the last clay and over against the Norwegian shotgun expert Tore BROVOLD. The two athletes, the only two shooters in the world able to shoot 150 out of 150 targets, duelled tied for Gold right to a shoot-off. Bronze went to TERRAS of France, who also won his spot on the podium though a shoot-off.
“I’ve always dreamed to get Gold at the Games, and I got it” said the 19-year old American shooter Vincent HANCOCK walking out of the Skeet’s final range with a Gold medal around his neck “I like to deal with pressure, and now its paid off.”
The American phenomenon, that at the sole age of 19 years has already won World Championships and set the current Final World Record of 150 out 150 targets, was the most favourite to win Gold here at the Games of Beijing “The game plan was to hit every single target. My motto is ‘if you are perfect, nobody can beat you’. And I won this Gold facing Tore BROVOLD, a real good friend of me. I could not ask to shoot against a better shooter.”
HANCOCK had entered into the final round with a qualification score of 121 targets, and one clay of advantage on the following Tore BROVOLD of Norway. Vincent kept his advantage up to the sixth station, when he missed a determinant target finishing tied to the Norwegian shooter “I wasn’t nervous in the competition until then. – commented HANCOCK - When I missed that low house target it only made me more determinate. ”
BROVOLD, who had started with 120 hits, closed the round with a perfect 25, so that he and HANCOCK finished tied with a total score of 145 hits. The duel between the two top shooters continued in a shoot-off for Gold, a face-to-face struggle for the Olympic title.
BROVOLD, a 38-year old first time Olympian who had equalled HANCOCK’s 150 record last July at the Europeans, missed a target on his second shoot-off pair, giving Gold the American and placing himself in second “When I walked into the final round behind Vincent, I knew that I needed to shot a 25 straight, or a 26… which unfortunately is not possible… – said BROVOLD, kissing his Silver medal – I made my best. Vincent and I are good friends, but I would have liked to beat him. Right now, I feel like I won Silver, not lost the Gold – continued the Norwegian shooter – The King and the Queen of Norway have been here at the range since this morning, and their presence inspired me.”
The 23-year old Anthony TERRAS of France and the expert Cypriot Antonis NIKOLAIDIS ended their round tied in third place with a total score of 144 hits, so that also the games for Bronze had to be resolved by a shoot-off. The younger TERRAS, two times medallist in this year’s World Cup series, won the contest 3 to 2 hits, earning the medal. NIKOLAIDIS did not exploit the mistakes of his opponent, missing two targets in the shoot-off and eventually landing in fourth place.
Georgios ACHILLEOS of Cyprus, who had walked into the Games as World’s number one, ended up in fifth position, with a score of 143 hits “It has been a difficult competition. You have seen low scores, today. I couldn’t give my best. I am sorry.”
The American phenomenon, that at the sole age of 19 years has already won World Championships and set the current Final World Record of 150 out 150 targets, was the most favourite to win Gold here at the Games of Beijing “The game plan was to hit every single target. My motto is ‘if you are perfect, nobody can beat you’. And I won this Gold facing Tore BROVOLD, a real good friend of me. I could not ask to shoot against a better shooter.”
HANCOCK had entered into the final round with a qualification score of 121 targets, and one clay of advantage on the following Tore BROVOLD of Norway. Vincent kept his advantage up to the sixth station, when he missed a determinant target finishing tied to the Norwegian shooter “I wasn’t nervous in the competition until then. – commented HANCOCK - When I missed that low house target it only made me more determinate. ”
BROVOLD, who had started with 120 hits, closed the round with a perfect 25, so that he and HANCOCK finished tied with a total score of 145 hits. The duel between the two top shooters continued in a shoot-off for Gold, a face-to-face struggle for the Olympic title.
BROVOLD, a 38-year old first time Olympian who had equalled HANCOCK’s 150 record last July at the Europeans, missed a target on his second shoot-off pair, giving Gold the American and placing himself in second “When I walked into the final round behind Vincent, I knew that I needed to shot a 25 straight, or a 26… which unfortunately is not possible… – said BROVOLD, kissing his Silver medal – I made my best. Vincent and I are good friends, but I would have liked to beat him. Right now, I feel like I won Silver, not lost the Gold – continued the Norwegian shooter – The King and the Queen of Norway have been here at the range since this morning, and their presence inspired me.”
The 23-year old Anthony TERRAS of France and the expert Cypriot Antonis NIKOLAIDIS ended their round tied in third place with a total score of 144 hits, so that also the games for Bronze had to be resolved by a shoot-off. The younger TERRAS, two times medallist in this year’s World Cup series, won the contest 3 to 2 hits, earning the medal. NIKOLAIDIS did not exploit the mistakes of his opponent, missing two targets in the shoot-off and eventually landing in fourth place.
Georgios ACHILLEOS of Cyprus, who had walked into the Games as World’s number one, ended up in fifth position, with a score of 143 hits “It has been a difficult competition. You have seen low scores, today. I couldn’t give my best. I am sorry.”