ISSF World Championship Shotgun · Moscow, RUS

Thomas Derek Grice and Penny Smith bested Spain’s Antonio Bailon and Beatriz Martinez in an exciting Gold medal match, where they prevailed by just 1-hit and pocketed the first ever ISSF World Championship title in the newly born event. The Bronze medal was taken by the United States of America.

Thomas Derek Grice (24) and Penny Smith (22) of Australia are the first ever ISSF World Champions in the Trap Mixed Team event. The historic Gold medal match that crowned them took place at the Foxlodge Shooting Range in Moscow (RUS), where the ISSF World Championship Shotgun is currently taking place.

The two Australian shooters came back from a 6-hit deficit, overtaking Spain’s Antonio Bailon (33) and Beatriz Martinez (31) in the final stage of the match and claiming the Gold medal with the narrowest margin: 33 hits to 32.

“I tried not to look at he scoreboard,” said Grice after the medal ceremony. “So to be honest, I actually thought we lost!”

“This Gold medal is for my grandpa back home, he introduced me to the shooting sport, so it’s got to be for him!” he concluded.

“It feels pretty good!” added Smith, who secured her first World Cup Gold earlier this year in New Delhi (IND). “I think it’ll take some time to realize what we’ve done. I want to dedicate this win to my family, they’ve been very supportive with me.”

In the previous Bronze medal match, Ashley Carroll (22) and Derek Haldeman (26) of the United States’ crushed 41 targets, bagging the Bronze medal and prevailing over the second Australian couple, Catherine Skinner (27) and Jack Wallace (20), who hit 38. It’s the first medal in a World Championship for both Carroll and Haldeman, who previously qualified for the finals of the Trap individual events, respectively placing 6th and 5th.

The home Russian team took a disappointing 5th place after failing to qualify for the medal matches. However, despite finishing with 27 target hits, Alexey Alipov (42) and Tatiana Barsuk (32) won the warmest applause from the audience, who filled the stands of the Foxlodge Shooting Range in maybe the coldest day of the competition so far.

A second Spanish team composed by Alberto Fernandez (34) and Fatima Galvez (30) was also eliminated at semifinal stage, finishing with 22 clays and taking 6th place.

Medal standings after 5 out of 12 events

Rank	Nation	Individual			Team			Total
Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	ITA	3	1	1	2	1	1	5	2	2	9
2	AUS		1	1	2			2	1	1	4
3	USA				1		3	1		3	4
4	FRA	1						1			1
5	RUS		1			1			2		2
6	CZE			1		1			1	1	2
6	ESP					1	1		1	1	2
8	FIN					1			1		1
8	GBR		1						1		1
10	SVK			1						1	1
		4	4	4	5	5	5	9	9	9	27

The ISSF World Championship Shotgun in Moscow (RUS) will continue tomorrow with the Double Trap Men Junior final, scheduled at 4:45 pm (UTC+3:00), and the Double Trap Men final, taking place at 5:45 pm. Both finals will be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel, on its official Facebook page and on the Olympic Channel.

Live results of the competitions, news and updates will be available on www.issf-sports.org and on all ISSF social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Weibo and Youku.

PHOTOS - Final

MOSCOW - SEPTEMBER 4: (L-R) Silver medalist Team of Spain 1 (Antonio BAILON / Beatriz MARTINEZ), Gold medalist Team of Australia 2 (Thomas Derek GRICE / Penny SMITH) and Bronze medalist Team of the United States of America 1 (Derek HALDEMAN / Ashley CARROLL) pose with their medals after the Trap Mixed Team Medal Matches at the Foxlodge Shooting Range during Day 4 of the ISSF World Championship Shotgun on September 4, 2017 in Moscow, Russian Federation. (Photo by Nicolo Zangirolami)

04.09.2017

Marco Vettoretti

Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl

Source: - ISSF Website

domingo, 3 de setembro de 2017

First-time participant Clement Bourgue of France secures the Trap Men Junior title

Final Trap Men Junior

ISSF World Championship Shotgun · Moscow, RUS

The 17-year-old French shooter pocketed a stunning victory at the ISSF World Championship Shotgun in Moscow (RUS), besting two-time Junior World Cup medalist Matteo Marongiu of Italy, who took Silver, and Australia’s Jack Wallace, who took Bronze.

France’s Trap Men Junior shooter Clement Francis Andre Bourgue made his debut in an ISSF World Championship today in Moscow (RUS), and he made it in a memorable way.

With just two previous appearances in international competitions, one at the European Championship and one at last month’s Junior World Cup in Porpetto (ITA), the 17-year-old battled all along the final with Italian talent Matteo Marongiu (17), who reached the 25-clay mark with a 1-hit advantage on his French rival. There, Bourgue hit 13 straight targets, taking the lead and successfully defending it from Marongiu’s comeback.

“I don’t think I’ve realized what I’ve done, not yet” said Bourgue, who took Gold with 43 hits.

“I wasn’t actually paying attention to the score, so I didn’t feel the pressure of him getting closer. I just did what I know,”continued the 17-year-old. “I already received many, many congratulation calls… From my family, from my friends, and even from people I don’t know!”

Marongiu finished with 42 clay hits, claiming his fourth international medal, the first in an ISSF World Championship after the two Junior World Cup ones and the Silver secured at the 2016 European Championship in Lonato (ITA)

Pocketing his second junior medal in a World Championship after the Silver he claimed in Granada (ESP) in 2014, Australia’s 20-year-old Jack Wallace taking Bronze medal with 31 hits.

Both Marongiu’s and Wallace’s teammates finished just outside of the podium, as Italy’s second finalist Emanuele Buccolieri (20) barely missed the Bronze, not hitting his 35th and final clay and finishing in 4th place with 28 hits. While Australia’s 18-year-old Mitchell Iles-Crevatin left the match after clay number 25, taking 5th place with 21 target hits.

United States’ Ryne Baxter Barfield (20), finally, took 6th position, failing to climb back after missing three of his first five targets and finishing with 18 hits in his first final participation.

The ISSF World Championship Shotgun in Moscow (RUS) will continue tomorrow with the Trap Mixed Team event. The final will be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel, on its official Facebook page and on the Olympic Channel.

Live results of the competitions, news and updates will be available on www.issf-sports.org and on all ISSF social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Weibo and Youku.