USA's Holguin earns Double Trap Gold and Olympic Quota in Acapulco

Finals Double Trap Men

ISSF World Cup Shotgun · Acapulco, MEX

The reigning ISSF Wolrd Cup champion secured a Rio 2016 Quota spot for USA, beating Hi Binyuan of the People's Republic of China in the Gold medal match, and his teammate Haldeman in a 52-target shoot-off at the end of the semi-final.

The 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico, continued today with the Double Trap Men Finals.

The reigning ISSF Wolrd Cup champion Jeffrey Holguin, 36, from USA, claimed the Gold medal, beating China’s Hu Binyuan, 37, currently ranked second in the world, at the Gold medal match.

Holguin had to shoot 120 targets to climb atop of the highest step of the podium, after the qualifications. First he started off by hitting 29 clays out of 30 in the semi-final. Then, he had to shoot-off against his teammate Derek Haldeman to gain a pass for the Gold medal match, and 52 targets were thrown to separate the two. Then, in the medal match, he met Hu Binyuan, the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist of the People's Republic of China that he had already beaten a few months ago at the 2014 ISSF World Cup Final in Gabala (AZE).

The two finalists ended up tied once again, with 28 hits each, but Holguin prevailed in the following shoot-off for Gold with a score of 8 to 7 hits.

“I didn't know if I was ever going to make it.” Holguin said after the match. “First the qualifications, then the semi-final, a shoot-off, the medal match, and another shoot-off... I don't know how many targets I had to break. It has been tough, but I was confident all the way through!”

“After the semi-final, during the shoot-off with my teammate Haldeman, for a moment I thought I was going to be tired at the end. But I stopped myself immediately, because I knew it was going to hurt me. The last time I went through a long final, I performed poorly in the medal match. So I zeroed in, I told myself I was shooting great, I kept on going, and luckily I made it.” He said, commenting on today's final.

“I like the way that the doubles are thrown, I really enjoy it, and that helps me to shoot better, my motivation is up.” Jeffrey added.

“I secured an Olympic spot for my country, which was the goal.” USA has now reached the maximum number of Olympic Quotas allowed for the Double Trap Men event (2), as Joshua Richmond had already claimed one at the 2014 ISSF World Championship in Granada.

“At least one Olympic Quota will go back to our selection process: we have to shoot for it back home.” Explained Holguin. “ But there is a system in place for if one of us can do really well at World Cups this year, he can qualify for one of the two quota spots by points. I just got a pretty good score today, I believe. This has been a very good first step.”

“I will be going to Al Ain (UAE), and then to Larnaca (CYP), for the next two ISSF World Cup Stages.” The American champion added. “But the ISSF World Championship in Lonato – which is a big even this year - is still up in the air. I have to earn my way to that competition... it's really tight this year.”

While Hu Binyuan pocketed the second of the two Rio 2016 Quota Place to be awarded today, the Bronze medal went to Holguin's teammate Haldeman.

After loosing the semi-final shoot off against his teammate, Derek Haldeman, 23, taking part in his first ISSF World Cup final round, met and beat Kuwait's 2000 Double Trap Olympic Bronze medallist and 2012 Trap Olympic Silver medallist Fehaid Aldeehani (48) in the Bronze medal match. The two medal contenders ended up tied with 28 hits each at the end of the round, and it was once again a shoot-off which decided the medal in favor of the American finalist (12 to 11 hits).

The 2008 Olympic Champ Walton Eller, 33, today's third US semi-finalist, ended up in sixth place with 25 hits, while Great Britain's 33-year old first-time finalist Matthew French closed the semi-final in fifth with 26 hits.

The ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico, will now continue with the Skeet Women and the Skeet Men events (finals to be conducted on the 8^th and 9^th of March).

Watch the Finals live on the ISSF Website at http://www.issf-sports.org/pages/livestream.ashx

Marco Dalla Dea