ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Baku, AZE

The first-time finalist and youngest medal contender of the day clinched an unexpected victory at today’s 10m Air Rifle Men final at the ISSF World Cup in Baku.

Filip Nepejchal, a 16-year old first-time finalist from the Czech Republic, rocked Baku’s final hall, today, during the second competition day of the ISSF Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun World Cup in Baku, the last world cup stage of the season.

The young shooter, ranked 117 in the world, at his second world cup participation in career, pocketed the brightest medal with 206.8 points, leaving behind him experienced and titled athletes.

The Czech shooter had already finished in the spotlights during the qualifications, scoring 627.7 points to finish ahead of the 2008 Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra.

During the final match - his first final match in a world cup event - he shot solidly, hitting the ninth ring only four times out of 20 shots.

Ranked second on the penultimate shot, it was his last 10.7 that lifted him atop of the podium, ahead of Iran’s 34-year old finalist Hossein Bagheri, who scored a 9.8 finishing in second place with a final score of 206.2 points. Bagheri would have needed a 10.5 on that last shot, to win the match.

Israel’s 2013 European Champion Sergey Richter, 27, took today’s Bronze with 184.6 points, leaving the match after the 18th shot. The Israeli athlete had already climbed upon the third step of Baku’s podium last year, at the European Games, when he had scored 185.5 points.

Turkey’s Omer Akgun, 34, another first-time finalist, placed in fourth with 164.3 points, being eliminated after the 16th shot with 3 tenths of disadvantage from Richter. He was followed by Republic of Korea’s Kim Hyeonjun, 23, fifth with 143.7 points, and by India’s 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Gagan Narang, 33, sixth with 123.1 points.

The 2008 Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra of India, 33, and Norway’s 2008 European Champion Are Hansen, 34, were the first two athletes to be eliminated throughout the final, and placed in seventh and eighth place with 102.3 and 80.8 points, respectively.