ISSF

Published on 12 Apr 2009

50m Rifle Prone – POTENT starts as he had finished: in the lead

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Marco Dalla Dea

Olympic Bronze POTENT of Australia won the first 50m Rifle Prone medal of the season. Two first time finalists, HENRY of France and BAKKEN of Norway followed him on the podium.

Olympic Bronze medallist Waren POTENT started the new ISSF world cup series as he had closed the previous edition: in first place. POTENT had won the 2008 World Cup Final in Bangkok, the last ISSF competition of the Olympic year. Today climbed up form third place he had after the qualification, and won the rifle prone final with a score of 700.0 (596+104.0), stating again his leadership in this event. “I am so happy! I felt quite confident today”.
The Australian shooter made his way to the podium by shooting the highest per-shot average in today’s final, gaining his fourth ISSF world cup gold medal. His average is impressive: during the last two world cup seasons, POTENT has won 4 golds and 2 bronzes, an impressive total of six medals out of nine world cup stages, only in the 50m rifle prone event.

Silver was taken by Josselin HENRY of France, who climbed from the fourth place winning his first medal in this event with 699.4 points (596+103.4). The France shooter overtook the 20-year old Norwegian athlete Ole Magnus BAKKEN, who shot himself in third place by firing a last shot of 9.2 points, probably feeling the pressure of his first world-level final in this event. The Norwegian shooter shot Bronze with a total of 699.3 points (597+102.3), only one tenth behind HENRY.

India’s Gagan NARANG finished in fourth place with 698.7 points (597+698.7), his best placement in this event in an ISSF world cup so far. The Indian shooter, who is an expert and successful 10m Air Rifle shooter, considers the rifle prone a back-up event “I am still learning!” he had said a few days ago about it.

USA’s Michael MCPHAIL finished in fifth place with 698.4 points (595+103.4), followed by the home shooter Jinseop HAN, who closed the round in sixth with 696.1 points (594+102.9).