10.11.2013

OLYMPIC CHAMP CAMPRIANI JOINED HIS GIRLFRIEND ZUBLASING ATOP OF THE WORLD CUP FINAL PODIUM

The 2012 Olympic Champion Niccolo Campriani (ITA) won the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Final finishing atop of the World Cup Final podium just minutes after the medal ceremony that crowned his girlfriend Petra Zublasing as the new World Cup Title holder in the same event.

The reigning Olympic Champion Niccolo Campriani, 26, won today's 50m Rifle 3 Position Men final at the 2013 ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, Germany, climbing atop of the podium just one hour after his girlfriend Petra Zublasing's victory in the women final.

Campriani scored 460.8 points in the final match, beating the 24-year old finalist Ole Kristian Bryhn, the 2011 ISSF World Cup Final winner

from Norway, who pocketed the Silver medal with 459.2 points, 1.6 points behind Campriani.

The Bronze medal went to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Bronze medallist Serhiy Kulish, 20, from the Ukraine, with 447.3 points.

“I won a World Cup Gold today, but it's indeed a Silver: Petra shot better than me in her final, today!” Campriani said, with a smile on his face, right after the medal ceremony.

“Being a couple definitely reflects on our shooting performances: we can train together, at the same level, and that helps us to grow.”

“I have not seen her for one year, while she was finishing her Bachelor in USA and I was studying for my Master in England. I found her changed a lot: she's a better shooter now, and she's built up some self-confidence. She's doing great!”

Today's final result surprised Campriani, who just came back from China, where he has been leading a training camp for the last four weeks.

“I shot really good today, I am definitely happy about it. I did not expect such result: I just came back from China and I did not really train a lot for this event. Furthermore, this is my first final with the new rules.” Said the Italian shooter, who had won the Olympics with the old rules.

“The new final starts with the kneeling position, and that turns into an advantage for me. The kneeling has always been my best position, and to start with it helps me to release some pressure.”

Germany's Brodmeier in 4^th, followed by Seribia's Mirrosavljev

Serbia's 43-year old five-time Olympian Nemanjia Mirrosavljev closed the Kneeling and Prone positions in the lead, with a margin of 0.9 points on his followers. Behind him, Campriani came closer and closer. The turning point of Mirrosavljev's match came on his second Standing series: the Serbian finalist fired a disappointing 8.0-point shot that landed him in fifth place, with 426.0 points. The 26-year old German finalist Daniel Brodmeier, shooting on his home turf, took the chance and bounced up in fourth place, closing the match with 437.2 points.

The 34-year old Chinese finalist Jie Li placed in sixth with 413.8 points, while the 50m Prone Olympic 2008 Olympic Champion Artur Aivazian, 40, from the Ukraine and Austria's Alexander Schmirl, 24, were the first to leave the match, placing in eighth and seventh place with 402.5 and 403.6 points, respectively.