ISSF World Cup Changwon: China and Russia shine on day-1

Press Release 17/2018

Zhao Ruozhu set a new world record at the women’s Air Rifle Final, while two Russian shooters pocketed gold and silver at the men’s event, on the opening day of the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events in Changwon (KOR)

Changwon (KOR), 22 April 2018 - The 2018 ISSF World Cup in Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun events in Changwon, Republic of Korea, kicked-off today with the first two medal events, the women’s and men’s 10m Air Rifle Finals. 

People’s Republic of China’s Zhao Ruozhu ruled the women’s 10m Air Rifle medal match from the very first shot. Competing in the first world cup stage of her career, the 19-year-old shooter claimed the lead with a strong first series, and progressively building a consistent gap between her and her main rivals: Chinese Taipei’s 18-year-old Lin Ying-Shin and Norway’s 20-year-old Jenny Stene.

Zhao — who fired all of her 24 shots inside the 10th ring — maintained the top position all the way through the match, eventually setting a new World Record and a new Junior World Record with 252.4 points, 1.4-point ahead of Lin, who took silver with 250.0. Stene finished with 229.1 points and the bronze medal around her neck.

Earlier today, the Russian team triumphed with a gold-silver medal combo at the men’s 10m Air Rifle final, the opening event of this world cup stage. 

Alexander Dryagin, 27, beat his teammate Vladimir Maslennikov, 23, with 251.2 points - setting a new world record. Dryagin climbed up the scoreboard in the second half of the final match, after a relatively slow start. With an unmatchable series of deep 10s, he bested his teammate by 1.0 points, securing his first world cup stage gold in career. 

The two had also dueled at the European Championship in Gyor, Hungary, last February. There, Olympic Bronze medalist Vladimir Maslennikov won the match, securing the continental title, while leaving Dryagin in second. Tables turned today, as Maslennikov finished in second place with 250.2 points. 

The world ranking’s leader Istvan Peni, 21, from Hungary, followed them in third place, pocketing the Bronze medal with 228.5 points. The 2017 ISSF World Cup title holder, who started-off the season by winning the first world cup stage of the year in Guadalajara, Mexico, led most of today’s final, sliding then in third place as he fired a 10.0 and a 9.8 on his 21st and 22nd shots. 

13 more medal events will take place in the next days, at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, right to the 29th of April. The event also serves as a test for the newly reconstructed shooting rage of Changwon, a modern venue that will host the 52nd ISSF World Championship, in September. 

The championship will continue tomorrow, April 23rd, with the women’s 25m Pistol Final, scheduled at 11.30 Korean Standard Time (GMT+9); the Mixed Team’s 10m Air Rifle Final at 13.45; and the women’s Trap Final at 16.15. Find the full schedule of the championship athttp://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/venue/schedule.ashx?cshipid=2391

All finals be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel, and on its official Facebook page. 

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.

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10m Air Rifle Women Final results, click here.

10m Air Rifle Men Final results, click here.

For editorial photos click here.

Media Contact:
Marco DALLA DEA
ISSF Communication Manager
marco@issf-sports.org

The second ISSF World Cup of the season officially opened today in Changwon

Opening Ceremony

iSSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Changwon, KOR

The competition will also serve as a test event for the 2018 ISSF World Championship in all events, scheduled from August 31st to September 15th in the Korean city. A total of 876 athletes will compete in the World Cup stage, representing 70 National Olympic Committees and competing in the 15 Olympic shooting events.

The ISSF World Cup Stage 2 officially opened today in Changwon (KOR), as the Opening Ceremony was held at the Changwon Exhibition Convention Centre.

A total of 876 athletes from 70 NOCs will participate, battling in the 15 Olympic shooting events and piling up 1400 starts. The competition will be held in the new Changwon International Shooting Range, the same venue that will host the 52nd edition of the ISSF World Championship in all events— from August 31st to September 15th.

It’s the eighth time that the Korean city welcomes an ISSF World Cup stage in the last 15 years, as it previously hosted five stages in Rifle/Pistol events — dated 2003, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 — one in Shotgun events in 2007, and a combined one in 2005.

“My friends, shooters and officials, I am very happy to be in this beautiful city again,” said Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, President of the ISSF. “I have many Korean friends and Korea is my second home. Thank you to Mr. Hwang, President of the Korea Shooting Federation and to the whole Local Organizing Committee for their hard work, and thank you to Mr. Ahn, Mayor of the City of Changwon, for the wonderful hospitality.”

Mr. Vazquez Raña then closed his speech by officially declaring the competition open, being followed by a show of typical dances and exhibitions — followed by a live concert in the main plaza of the city.

The competition will be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel and on its official Facebook page.

Live results, 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.

Marco Vettoretti

Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl

Source: - ISSF Website

Changwon is ready to host the second stage of this year’s ISSF World Cup Series

ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun · Changwon, KOR

More than 800 will participate in the competition, battling in the 15 Olympic shooting events and representing 70 nations. The World Cup will be held in the same venue that will host the ISSF World Championship in all events next September.

After stopping in Guadalajara (MEX) for the first competition of the season, the 2018 ISSF World Cup Series is about to land in Changwon (KOR), where the ISSF World Cup Stage 2 will take place from the 20th to the 30th of April.

A total of 876 athletes from 70 National Olympic Committees will participate, battling in the 15 Olympic shooting events and piling up 1400 starts. The competition will be held in the new Changwon International Shooting Range, the same venue that — from August 31st to September 15th — will host the 52nd ISSF World Championship in all events.

It’s the eighth time that the Korean city welcomes an ISSF World Cup stage in the last 15 years, as it previously hosted five stages in Rifle/Pistol events — dated 2003, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 — one in Shotgun events in 2007, and a combined one in 2005.

Here’s the schedule of the 15 finals that will be contested in Changwon:

Sunday, April 22nd

10m Air Rifle Men at 1:15 pm (UTC+9:00)

10m Air Rifle Women at 5:15 pm

Monday, April 23rd

25m Pistol Women at 12:00 pm

10m Air Rifle Mixed Team at 2:00 pm

Trap Women at 4:45 pm

Tuesday, April 24th

10m Air Pistol Men at 1:15 pm

Trap Men at 4:15 pm

Wednesday, April 25th

10m Air Pistol Women at 12:45 pm

25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men at 2:15 pm

Trap Mixed Team at 4:30 pm

Thursday, April 26th

50m Rifle 3 Positions Men at 12:15 pm

10m Air Pistol Mixed Team at 2:15 pm

Friday, April 27th

50m Rifle 3 Positions Women at 12:45 pm

Saturday, April 28th

Skeet Women at 4:30 pm

Sunday, April 29th

Skeet Men at 3:00 pm

The 2018 ISSF World Cup Series will then travel to Fort Benning (USA), where the following stage is scheduled to take place from May 7th to May 15th.

The competition will be streamed live on the ISSF website, on the Federation’s Livestream channel and on its official Facebook page.

Live results, 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.

Marco Vettoretti

Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl

Source: - ISSF Website

NRAI chief says youth will form core of senior shooting team after good performance by juniors

Written by Nitin Sharma | Chandigarh | Published: April 2, 2018 2:56:09 pm

Yuvraj Raninder Singh in Mohali Sunday. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Last week, the Indian junior shooting team made the nation proud by winning 22 medals including 9 gold, finishing a close second behind China’s tally of 25 medals in the ISSF Junior World Cup held in Sydney.

For Raninder Singh, president of National Rifle Association of India, youngsters will form the core of the Indian senior team in the coming future. Singh said this while addressing an event organised by the Punjab Rifle Shooting Association in Mohali where shooters including those who were part of the junior World Cup winning squad were felicitated.

Last week, the Indian junior shooting team made the nation proud by winning 22 medals including 9 gold, finishing a close second behind China’s tally of 25 medals in the ISSF Junior World Cup held in Sydney.

“This has happened for the first time that we matched China in terms of gold medals. Normally, we would finish fourth or fifth in the medals tally, but this performance was incredible. The credit should goes to the shooters and also the national coaches. When we started the junior programme three years ago, we wanted specialised training for youngsters. The NRAI gets Rs 27 crore annually for 290 athletes and 61 per cent of the amount is spent on the junior programme. That’s shows the kind of faith we have for the junior shooters,” said Singh, who is also the son of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Haryana shooter Manu Bhaker won the gold medal in women’s 10 m Air Pistol event in Sydney while Gujarat’s Elavenil Valarivan won the women’s 10 M Air Rifle event. The brother-sister duo of Anish Bhanwala and Muskan Bhanwala were the champions in men’s and women’s 25 M Rapid Fire pistol events respectively, which also gave India four individual gold medals.

In the ISSF Senior World Cup held in Mexico last month, the Indian team topped the medal tally with a total of nine medals including three gold. And now the NRAI president believes that dominance of Indian shooters will continue. “The junior shooters also get to train with foreign coaches which will add to their confidence. The senior skeet shooters are training under Atlanta Olympics champion Italian Ennio Falco while junior shooters will train under Piero Genga. Yes, there have been a few changes in the rules of events like Trap shooting. And as a mixed team event will be taking place in Olympics, I see more medals coming India’s way. The ISSF World Cup in Changwan will offer 60 quota places for Tokyo Olympics and in 2019, the ISSF World Cup in Delhi will offer 16 quota places. I see 12-20 Indian shooters bagging the quota places for 2020 Olympics,” said Raninder.

With shooting remaining an optional sport for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and with reports emerging about the scrapping of shooting events in the 2022 event, Singh ascertained that the NRAI is still trying to pursue CGF to include shooting in the event. “The CGF ratified that shooting will be an optional sport in CWG. And it is up to the host country to decide about the optional events. The ISSF remains of the senior federations in the IOC Olympic programme and as an executive board member of ISSF, I had two meetings with CWF and we still are trying to include shooting. One of the main problems which the host cities update about the optional sport is the utilization of sports infrastructure after the games and that remains one of the major concerns. Shooting has evolved in recent times and we too are ready for changes,” Singh added.

Shooting: Anish becomes India's youngest-ever gold medalist

• 
  ESPN staff

15-year-old Anish Bhanwala became India's youngest gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games after shooting 30 points -- a Commonwealth Games record -- in the 25m Rapid Fire final. Adding to the tally, Tejaswini Sawant and Anjum Moudgil completed a formidable 1-2 in the women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions as they won the gold and silver medal respectively at the ongoing Commonwealth Games on Friday.

Going into the final, Anish sat comfortably on top of the table in the qualification round, scoring 580 points. His compatriot Neeraj Kumar finished second with 579 points. As the first stage of the final began, Anish continued with the momentum that he had earlier, leading comfortably at 13 points, four points ahead of Australia's David Chapman, who held the second position after 15 shots.

In the eliminators, as Anish continued to lead by four points, ahead of Australia's Sergei Evglevski, Neeraj slipped, failing to maintain his nerves in a shoot-off to stay alive in the competition, to finish fifth with 13 points. With the last three eliminators to go, Evglevski took his game a notch higher, scoring a 5/5 to bridge the gap between him and the Indian to just two points. The cat-and-mouse chase continued as Anish -- with 25 points -- held on to a one-point lead against the Australian in the final eliminator. Anish hit the next five shots on target to go to 30 points, making it impossible for Evglevski to take the gold.

Anish hails from Kashandi, Haryana and is coached by former CWG gold medalist Jaspal Rana. His elder sister Muskan is also a national-level shooter.

The 15-year-old had previously won gold in the 25m standard pistol event at the junior World Championships last year, where he set a new junior World Record in the qualification stage. He had also represented India at the modern pentathlon junior World Championships in 2013. Anish looks up to Vijay Kumar, who won silver for India in the same event in the London Olympics in 2012 and counts three-time Olympic Gold-medalist Ralf Schumann among his biggest influences.

Tejaswini, Anjum complete 1-2 in 50m rifle 3 positions

Tejaswini, who had won a silver in the 50m Rifle Prone on Thursday, shot a total of 457.9 to set a new Commonwealth Games record and finish on top of the table. Compatriot Anjum, giving a tough competition to Tejaswini, shot a 544.7 to finish second.

Coached by Kuheli Gangulee, Tejaswini took up the sport upon persuasion by her mother Sunita. She had won silver in the same event in 2006. With this medal, the 37-year-old further increased her Commonwealth Games medal tally to seven -- having previously won two golds, two silvers and two bronze medals since 2006.

The Kolhapur-born gold medalist, who trains in Pune, had earlier equaled the world record (EWR) after winning gold in the Munich World Championships in 2010 in the 50m rifle prone. She had also won bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions in the ISSF World Cup held in Munich in 2009.

Anjum, who had won a silver at the ISSF shooting World Cup in Mexico last month, failed to qualify for the final of the 50m prone event. The 24-year-old is an inspector in the Punjab Police and is coached by former Olympian Deepali Deshpande. Her mother was a university-level shooter and she was introduced to the sport by her.

In the qualification round, while Anjum set a qualification record at the Commonwealth Games, shooting a 589 to finish first, Tejaswini finished third with a score of 582.

Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl

Source: - http://www.espn.com.au/commonwealth-games/story/