India’s Heena Sidhu and Harveen Srao both shot an impressive score of 383 but fell short of the final by one point in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol in the ISSF World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan, on Sunday.
Olympian and former World No. 1, Heena shot a series of 98, 94, 97 and 94 to finish 9th, while Harveen had a series of 96, 93, 95 and 97 and was placed 10th as she had lesser inner tens than Heena.
The Indian in the fray, Harshada Nithave shot 373 (94,92,92,95) to finish 42nd.
Austria’s Sylvia Steiner won the gold in the event, improving her 4th place finish in the 25m Pistol. The 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallist Vitalina Batsarashkina of Russia won the silver while Mexico’s Alejandra Zavala Vazquez won the bronze.
Sanjeev Rajput misses prone final
In the Men’s 50m Rifle Prone, Sanjeev Rajput started with a brilliant 106.9 in the first series but his good work was undone by his last card of 102.6. Rajput, eventually, had to be satisfied with a 11th-place finish with a total of 625.0 (106.9, 103.5, 104.6, 103.8, 103.6, 102.6).
Gagan Narang shot a score of 622.0 (104.8, 101.1, 103.1, 104.0, 105.0, 104.0) to finish 25th in a field of 55 shooters.
Torben Grimmel of Denmark won the gold, pocketing his fifth career World Cup gold and set a new world record of 249.8 after having topped qualification with 630.2. The silver was won by Belarus’ Yury Shcherbatsevich while the 2012 London Olympic silver medallist Lionel Cox of Belgium won the bronze.
Jitu Rai finishes 12th in air pistol
In the Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Olympian Jitu Rai shot 576 to finish 12th, as he missed the final by two points in a low scoring contest. Jitu had a bad finish in a series of 97, 96, 97, 96, 96 and 92.
Prakash Nanjappa shot 575 (98,96,95,97,95,94) and Omkar Singh 574 (96,94,94,97,100,93) were placed 15th and 18th respectively at the end of the qualification stage.
China’s Yang Wei shot 240.1 to win the gold in the event, his first World Cup medal. The silver was won by World No. 3, Japan’s Matsuda Tomoyuki. Ukraine’s Oleh Omelchuk claimed the bronze and won his second medal in Gabala, after the gold in 50m Pistol.
The Results:
Women’s 10m Air Pistol: 1. Sylvia Steiner (Aut) 237.5 (389); 2. Vitalina Batsarashkina (Rus) 236.1 (388); 3. Alejandra Zavala Vazquez (Mex) 216.7 (388); 9. Heena Sidhu 383; 10. Harveen Srao 383; 42. Harshada Nithave 373.
Men’s 10m Air Pistol: 1. Yang Wei (Chn) 240.1 (578); 2. Tomoyuki Matsuda (Jpn) 237.9 (579); 3. Olex Omelchuk (Ukr) 217.1 (580); 12. Jitu Rai 576; 15. Prakash Nanjappa 575; 18. Omkar Singh 574.
Men’s 50m Rifle Prone: 1. Torben Grimmel (Den) 249.8 EWR (630.2); 2. Yury Shcherbatsevich (Blr) 248.9 (626.3); 3. Lionel Cox (Bel) 227.9 (627.7); 11. Sanjeev Rajput 625.0; 25. Gagan Narang 622.0.
