Hungary’s Istvan Peni claims first gold

New Delhi, October 25: Hungary’s 20-year old Istvan Peni, upstaged fellow countryman and Air Rifle legend Peter Sidi to claim his first Gold in an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final, in the process also equaling the junior world record in the Men’s 10M Air Rifle final.

India’s Ravi Kumar, who finished 5th in qualifying with a score of 623.9 to reach the final, finished eighth eventually shooting 123.4, to be the first to be eliminated in the final. Ravi shot well, with none of his 12 shots going below 10, spare the fifth, which was an effort worth 9.2, but such was the level of shooting that it could not be overcome.

On day two of competitions at the ISSF World Cup Final Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun Peni, topped qualifying with a score of 628 after 60 shots and then held his nerve admirably in the final two shots to stave of VItali Bubnovich of Belarus in the finals. Peni shot 249.8 to Bubnovich’s 249.5.

Sidi put up a brave fight but settled for bronze with a score of 228.5 in the final to claim his eighth career World Final medal overall and seventh in the 10M Air Rifle.

In the 10M Air Pistol women’s category, the day’s first final, Celine Goberville of France, the London 2012 Olympics silver medalist in the event, upstaged two reigning Rio 2016 Olympic champions to also win her first ISSF WCF Gold and add to the four Bronze’s she had accumulated in the season-ending event over the past decade. This was also her second medal of the competition, having partnered Florain Fouquet to the 10M Air Pistol Mixed Team Silver on day one.

Former Junior World Champion Lin Yuemei of China won silver shooting a score of 237 in the final to Celine’s 240.9 after the allotted 24 shots. Reigning Olympic champion in the event, Mengxue Zhang of China won bronze with a final score of 218.7. Anna Korakaki, the Rio Bronze medalist in the event and the reigning Sports Pistol Olympic champion, finished fifth shooting 177.5 in the final.

In the third and last final of the day, Women’s Skeet legend and three time Olympic Champion, Kimberly Rhode of the USA, won her third WCF Gold and sixth WCF medal overall, when she bested reigning Olympic Champion Diana Bacosi of Italy after gruelling shoot-off for the top two spots. Rhode prevailed 22-21 over Bacosi, after both were tied on 56 hits after the allotted 60 shots in the final. USA’s reigning World Champion Dania Jo Vizzi, also of the USA won the Bronze.

China led the medal tally after two days of competition, while India are at fifth place with one Gold. Day three also has three finals scheduled in the Men’s 10M Air Pistol (11.30am final), Women’s 10M Air Rifle (1.00pm final) and the Men’s Skeet (4.00pm final). India’s medal hopes will lie with Jitu Rai in the men’s Pistol event while Pooja Ghatkar will aim for her first ISSF World Cup Final medal in the women’s Rifle event.