START OF ThE SEASON 2011

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1 2 : 2011 START OF ThE SEASON 2011» ISSF WORLD CUP CONCEPCION AND SYDNEY» RAPID FIRE PISTOL GRAND PRIX MUNICH» INTERNATIONAL AIR GUN COMPETITION MUNICH» ISSF SECRETARY GENERAL FRANZ SCHREIBER» IWA NEWS» ISSF D-COACHES COURSE» WORLD RANKING» 2012 QUOTA PLACES

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3 CONTENTS COVER PAGE ThE 2011 ISSF WORLD CUP SERIES has STARTED! Shotgun shooters met for the first appointment of the year in Concepcion, Chile, were great records were scored on the layouts of the Stadio Italiano shooting range. Then, the ISSF family moved to Sydney, where a Combined World Cup Stage took place on the lines of the 2000 Olympic Range. Compete in fair play and show them that Shooting is an exciting sport! The ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Raña told the shooters, presenting the rules introduced this year: a new Rapid Fire Pistol final format and the live commentary during Rifle and Pistol finals. Looking for an Olympic Quota Place, a pass for the 2012 London Games, an impressive number of athletes participated in the two world cup events. Japan s Tomoyuki Matsuda (on the cover page next to the ISSF President) stood out by winning two Gold medals in Sydney just weeks after surviving to the terrible tsunami, and by dedicating the victory to his wounded homeland. RESULTS NEWS ISSF World Cup Concepcion, CHI 56 ISSF World Cup Sydney, AUS 57 Europ. Air Gun Championship Brescia, ITA GAMES London Olympic Venue Construction underway 4 ISSF Franz Schreiber appointed as ISSF Secretary General 6 COMPETITION ISSF World Cup Concepcion 10 COMPETITION ISSF World Cup Sydney 18 INFORMATION IN MEMORIAM Bronislav Bechynsky, CZE 37 COMPETITION Grand Prix Rapid Fire Pistol in Munich, GER 38 Photo Cover: Marco Dalla Dea / Contents: Phillip Blom 2012 Olympic Games Time Table Shooting 59 Quota places for the 2012 Olympic Games 137 ISSF World Ranking 142 Crosswords 145 Calendar 146 Impressum 146 COMPETITION IWK Air Gun Match in Munich, GER 40 NEWS IWA Exhibition, the shooting sport industry informs 44 COMMITTEE ISSF Judges Committee informs 48 DOPING THE ISSF IPOD The information portal on doping 52 TRANSLATION German Version 64 French Version 92 Spanish Version 112 ISSF NEWS 3

4 ACTIVITIES Mr Peter Underhill Competition Manager, Mr Will Richards Services Manager, Mr Christos Christoforidis Lead Venue Planner (tall Cypriot), Mr Gareth Jones Venue Project Manager (all LOCOG), Abby Green Venue Project Manager ODA, Lieutenant Colonel Ed Brockman RAB Station Commander (in uniform), Major Les Carr RAB Station Staff Officer (both military) and Councillor John Fahy Cabinet Member of Culture and the Olympics (turned up late). LONDON OLYMPIC VENUE CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY The construction of The 2012 olympic Games shooting venue has begun, and issf authorities visited The area where The olympic shooting range will be completed in The next months. The shooting range will be a Temporary facility now being built on The Grounds of east london s iconic royal artillery barracks, a historical site which will be a GreaT location for The shoo- TinG sport during The 2012 olympic Games. The project began with The awarding of a construc- Tion contract in march 2011 and will conclude in january 2012 when The completed facility will be Turned over To The london committee for The olympic Games (locog) To be prepared for The olympic TesT event in april 2012 and The olympic shooting competitions in august. I SSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña visited the venue site, and there he received a detailed briefing on the range plans, toured the site and participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project. ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber and Vice President Gary Anderson accompanied him during the visit, in occasion of the 2011 SportAccord Convention in London. President Vázquez Raña, who has constantly been in touch with the Olympic Development Authority in the last months, expressed his satisfaction with the venue plans and the start of construction. The ISSF strongly supported the selection of the Royal Artillery Barracks site because it is in the heart of the Olympic venues and, for our athletes, will be only 20 minutes away from the Olympic Village, said the ISSF President. The plans for the ranges are excellent and we are pleased that construction has finally started. Now we can look forward to returning to these ranges next year for our World Cup and what we know will be outstanding Olympic competitions. For the first time, a combined range for a 50 and 10 meters events will be constructed. It s going to be an interesting experiment, declared ISSF Vice-President Gary Anderson to ISSF NEWS. During the last IOC Program Commission review one of the major criticisms to shooting was that the venues are too expensive. By being able to reduce the number of venues from five to four, we will have the chance to save a significant amount of money. I am sure it will work very well. Photo: ISSF 4 ISSF NEWS

5 ACTIVITIES The construction s plan was fully unveiled during the visit of ISSF Authorities at the venue. When the ranges are completed they will include three combined skeet and trap fields, a 25-meter pistol range with 40 targets, a combined 50 and 10-meter range and a rifle-pistol finals range. The tribune behind the center shotgun range which will be used for finals will host up to 2,500 spectators, as well as the rifle-pistol finals range, which will be capable of welcoming 2,500 shooting fans. The combined 50 and 10-meter range represents an effort to significantly reduce venue costs by overlaying a 60-point air gun range on the firing points of a 70-point 50-meter rifle-pistol range. The 10-meter range will be in place at the beginning of the competitions. After the air gun events are over, the 10-meter range will be removed so that the 50-meter events can take place, using the same common firing points and spectator stands. The Royal Artillery Barracks shooting venue is designed to be a temporary facility. After the Olympics, it will be torn down and returned to the British Department of Defense in its original condition. By using a temporary facility, LOCOG was able to provide shooting with a venue that could be located within the city of London where public transportation is available and where the athletes, coaches and judges who participate in shooting will be close to all other Olympic activities. This decision was highly supported by the ISSF, as Mr. Anderson said. The area where the shooting range is being constructed, with the Royal Artillery Barracks in the background, is a really very impressive area. I think it s going to give a very powerful image. It will be a great venue for the shooting sport, declared the ISSF Vice President. The distance from the shooting venue to the Olympic venue will be about 20 minutes during the Games. For shooting this is very important, as it gives our athletes and our fans the chance to be at the center of the action, Mr. Anderson added. It is important to be at the center of the Olympics. We don t want to isolate our sport from the rest of the Games. Anderson and ISSF Vice President Medhat Wahdan are the two Technical Delegates for the 2012 shooting events, for Rifle & Pistol and Shotgun events, respectively. We are constantly in touch with the Olympic Development Authority, explained Mr. Anderson. We were told that the venue would be completed by November. Then, the interiors and the target systems will be installed between January and February. As Technical Delegates for the Olympic Games, Medhat Wadhan and I will certainly visit the venue to check everything before the contractor has completely finished. The venue will be tested between April 17-29, 2012, when a Pre-Olympic World Cup will be held at the range. We were concerned about the timing. Shooting was the last venue construction to begin, concluded Mr. Anderson. But it has started, and we are very satisfied with the status of the organization. LOCOG is advanced beyond what most previous Olympic Organizers have shown me. Marco Dalla Dea ISSF NEWS 5

6 ISSF SECRETARY GENERAL FRANZ SCHREIBER APPOINTED AS ISSF SECRETARY GENERAL on 26 january 2011, issf president olegario vázquez raña signed The official minutes ThaT recorded Two historic votes Taken by The issf executive committee and administrative council. in The first of Those votes, The executive committee agreed To propose franz schreiber as The new secretary General of The issf. This was followed by a unanimous vote by all 34 members of The issf To appoint him To ThaT position. on ThaT date, franz schreiber became The ninth secretary General in The 104-year history of The issf. F ranz Schreiber was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of his father Horst G. Schreiber on December 11, Horst Schreiber was first elected as the ISSF Secretary General in January 1980 and was most recently reelected for a four-year term beginning in His 31 years of service made him the longest-serving Secretary General in the history of the ISSF. A distinguishing feature of Horst Schreiber s service was the close leadership/partnership that existed between him and ISSF President Vázquez Raña. Their joint efforts resulted in the greatest period of growth ever experienced by the sport of shooting as measured by national federation members, worldwide participation and the prestige and status shooting enjoys within the Olympic movement. The ISSF Constitution names six Federation officers, the President, Secretary General and four Vice Presidents. The Secretary General is the ISSF s only full-time professional officer. He serves as the Federation s chief administrative officer at ISSF Headquarters. According to the Terms of Reference to the ISSF Constitution, the Secretary General is responsible for managing ISSF Headquarters and its Franz Schreiber Photos: Wolfgang Schreiber 6 ISSF NEWS

7 ISSF SECRETARY GENERAL professional staff, for acting as the ISSF Treasurer and for managing the execution of ISSF programs, always in close cooperation with the ISSF President. The Secretary General is responsible for carrying out the decisions of the Executive Committee and Administrative Council. ISSF programs established by those bodies include annual championships such as World Cups and World Cup Finals, the publication of ISSF News magazine, the ISSF Media Program that includes the ISSF website and ISSF-TV, the ISSF Academy to train coaches and the ISSF Anti-Doping Program. The President and Secretary General can both represent the ISSF in legal matters. Franz Schreiber was chosen to be the new Secretary General because of the extensive training and experience he has already had in performing the work of this office. He served as the ISSF Executive Director for the past two years and has over 25 total years of experience as a professional ISSF staff member whose work has earned the highest respect of ISSF officials, member federations, athletes and coaches. ISSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña summarized his qualifications by stating, the ISSF is very fortunate to have someone available who is so well prepared to serve as its Secretary General. Franz is a young man who is hardworking, honest, loyal and absolutely dedicated to the ISSF. For the last two years he has been deeply involved in doing the work of the Secretary General and his work has been outstanding. Our National Federation leaders and our athletes and coaches already know Franz well. The process of appointing Franz Schreiber as the new Secretary General followed procedures for filling vacancies specified in the ISSF Constitution. The Constitution delegates the authority and responsibility to appoint a replacement for any Officer if a vacancy occurs to the ISSF Administrative Council. The selection process began when President Vázquez Raña recommended that the ISSF Executive Committee propose Franz Schreiber as the next ISSF Secretary General. The Executive Committee unanimously approved this proposal in an 11 to zero vote and forwarded it to the Administrative Council. The vote by the 34-member Administrative Council to appoint Franz Schreiber as Secretary General was also unanimous. Franz Schreiber, who is 49, began his professional career as a legal intern in He became a full-time employee at ISSF Headquarters two years later. He has worked in the office of the ISSF Secretary General since that date and has extensive experience in all areas of ISSF activity. He declared, I am very happy about the great trust that I have been given. I will continue to work for the ISSF and the shooting sport with all my heart and my full energy. I look forward to supporting President Vazquez Raña and the ISSF to further strengthen the shooting sport in my new capacity as Secretary General. President Vázquez Raña spoke on behalf of the ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council when he said, we offer our sincere congratulations to Franz Schreiber and extend our best wishes to Franz and his wife Brigitte as he begins his service as the ninth Secretary General of the ISSF. We met the New Secretary General at the ISSF Rapid Fire Grand Prix in Munich, and we had the opportunity to talk about his appointment. Mr. Schreiber, first of all congratulations for your appointment as the new ISSF Secretary General. We know you have been working as a member of the ISSF Staff for a long time. Which positions did you hold? Which areas of the organization did you oversee before your appointment? I started working for the ISSF in 1982, but at that time it was still the UIT. I began as a volunteer to help my father. In 1984, I was employed by the ISSF on a full time basis as an administrator. Some years later I became the ISSF Office Director. In 2008, Mr. Vazquez appointed me as the ISSF Executive Director. Now in 2011, I have become the Secretary General. As you can see, I went through the long, but very effective ISSF school and I had excellent teachers during all of those years. What are the Chief responsibilities of the ISSF Secretary General? First of all, the Secretary General must manage the ISSF Headquarters and supervise the ISSF staff. The ISSF Headquarters, under my direction must carry out the business of the ISSF. Furthermore, ISSF Rules state that the Secretary General acts as the ISSF Treasurer, represents the ISSF in legal matters along with the President, and represents the President at his request. In addition, I must coordinate the work of all ISSF bodies and ensure that all of their decisions are carried out. Your father was the ISSF Secretary General for 30 years, and along with ISSF President Olegario Vázquez Raña, he was a protagonist of the ISSF s modern era. You are taking a heavy burden on your shoulders, can you comment on that? Yes, it is true that the shoes I must fill are very big and indeed President Vázquez along with my father were very successful in advancing the shooting sport and the ISSF. I will continue to work with President Vázquez on behalf of the ISSF and the shooting sport with all my heart and my full energy. What can you tell us about the status of our organization? If I may start with our members; the ISSF now has 160 member federations with full rights from all five continents. Regarding the ISSF Headquarters staff in Munich, at this time, we have six very excellent full-time employees so I am confident we can fulfill all of our tasks in the most capable way. The ISSF organizes a large General Assembly every two years. Every year we organize a full program of championship competitions that include World Cups, World Cup Finals, World Championships and, of course, every four years, the Olympic Games shooting events. The ISSF is one of the largest and most respected international sport federations and it has a staff that is serving our members and competitions very well. I will do my best to keep this status as high as possible. Can you compare the size and universality of the ISSF with other international sports organizations? Of course there are some very large international federations such as Athletics, Football and Basketball that are beyond our reach, but the ISSF is a very strong part of the Olympic Movement. We are very proud of the fact that our sport, Shooting, entered more athletes from different nations in the Olympic Games than all other sports except Athletics and Swimming. We had 101 participating nations in Beijing. In Shooting, athletes from many different nations have a very high standard and many shooters from all over the world are able to win medals in our competitions. We have also started a new and important collaboration with the International Paralympics Committee, as we really believe that IPC and ISSF can learn from each other and improve the standard of competitions and shooting must be a sport for all, with the largest possible participation. What about the relationship between the ISSF and the Olympic Family? Thanks to the excellent work of President Vázquez, we have a very good relationship with the IOC and the Olympic Family. The strong partnership the ISSF has with the IOC has been demonstrated on several occasions. We saw this most recently when IOC President Jacques Rogge participated in the Opening Ceremony of our recent 50th World Shooting Championship in Munich last July. Sport is increasingly seen as a form of entertainment where TV numbers become a decisive factor. What are the ISSF s plans to build its TV numbers? This is, of course, a very important question for us. The ISSF is doing many things to improve the presentation of our shooting sport worldwide. As of 2007, the ISSF has had a very effective ISSF-TV project that produces telecasts of all ISSF NEWS 7

8 ISSF SECRETARY GENERAL our major competitions. This past summer we signed a distribution agreement through Eurovision that gave us 600 million ISSF-TV viewers worldwide during last year s World Championship. We will have a similar distribution plan for our 2011 World Cups. We developed new rules to improve the presentation of our athletes during Olympic event finals. This year we are implementing a new final format for Rapid Fire Pistol that could transform it into a truly exciting TV event. Our communication strategies, developed with our new Communication Manager, have already produced some excellent results in obtaining more media coverage for our sport, both through traditional media as well as new media like Facebook, Twitter and the Sports Hub on YouTube. entering a new era in the ISSF. However, we still have a long way to go to be able to say we have moved into a new era. We had a good start with the record audience of 600 million TV contacts, but now we have to get these viewers to watch many more times and prove that this was not a one-time case. While acting as the ISSF Executive Director, you worked closely with the organizers of the 50 th ISSF World Championship. How do you evaluate the success of that competition? The 50 th World Shooting Championships were truly the best ever those were the words of our Vice-President Gary Anderson during the Closing Ceremony and I concur with them. I worked in very close cooperation with the You have attended many ISSF Championships in the last few years. Tell us about your contact with the shooters and trainers. What can the ISSF do in the future to fulfill the aspirations of our athletes and coaches? One of the things I like best about attending our Championships is how much I enjoy being in close contact with athletes and coaches. The ISSF wants the opinions of our shooters and coaches. We take these comments very seriously and I want to emphasize that all athletes and coaches are welcome to contact us whenever they have comments. Our President, Vice Presidents and I try to be present at as many competitions as possible and we are always available for constructive opinions and discussions. Furthermore, we welcome comments sent to us through s, faxes or letters. The ISSF also has two bodies that it formed to obtain the opinions of athletes and coaches. We established an Athletes Committee in 2002 and just last year established a Coaches Advisory Committee. Can you tell us more about the recent rule changes? Why were they considered necessary? Sports are increasingly seen as a form of entertainment and TV numbers are decisive. The old Rapid-Fire Pistol rules did not provide the best possible presentation of the drama and excitement of this fine event. We had to change that. We must work to increase the interest of fans and the numbers of TV viewers worldwide. In changing these rules, we also cooperated closely with the IOC and its Olympic Broadcast System OBS that assisted us in evaluating our old rules and developing new rules to show the best features of Rapid-Fire Pistol. Of course, we have to mention the importance of the attraction factor that our sport has within the Olympic Family and the Olympic Games. The 50 th ISSF World Championship was a massive competition, with more than 2000 participants, thousands of paying spectators, and a record audience of over 600 millions TV viewers. Would you say that we are entering a new era for the ISSF? Yes the 2010 World Championship was a milestone for the ISSF and I believe we are organizing committee and know that their success was only possible because of the professional work of the German Shooting Federation. Not only was the World Championship a great success, but we must also point to recent ISSF World Cups and note how much they have improved. The ISSF has put a lot of effort into supporting our World Cup organizing committees by establishing an annual Workshop for Organizers which has had a big impact on the overall quality of our World Cups. Traditionally, Germany is one of those countries where shooting is most practiced and followed. How is the ISSF planning to maintain that special relationship, and what competitions will the ISSF organize in Germany during the next seasons? With the Olympic Shooting Range in Munich- Garching-Hochbrück, the ISSF has an excellent venue close to the location of our Headquarters. The shooting world always wants to come to competitions in Munich and entries are always high. Our Executive Committee has already awarded World Cups to Munich for 2011 and 2011 for Rifle. What are the challenges that the ISSF will face in the near future? What about the 2012 Olympic Games in London? The biggest challenge is for the shooting sport to continue to be a very strong partner to the IOC. There are several projects that will ensure that the shooting sports remains as a modern and successful sport. I want to emphasize the importance of adopting new formats for our Finals after the London Games. We are also trying to introduce events for the IOC s Sports for All initiative, such as Run and Shoot which is similar to summer biathlon. We certainly look forward to successful 2012 Olympic Games in London. We are working hard along with the London Olympic Organizing Committee to prepare a beautiful temporary venue at Woolwich that is just 20 minutes away from the Olympic Village. Our shooters will be at the heart of the Games next year. This is new to our sport. What is your vision for the long-term future of the International Shooting Sport Federation? Where do you see the shooting sport in ten years? The shooting sport will continue to be a very popular sport and we work hard to ensure that persons of all ages are able to shoot and practice. Participation in shooting and the number of nations with strong shooting programs will continue to increase. The shooting family will grow as more and more people become friends worldwide through our beloved shooting sport. The ISSF will strengthen in its unity under President Vázquez and continue to be a strong partner of the IOC. Gary Anderson & Marco Dalla Dea 8 ISSF NEWS

9 The future of electronic targets... ISSF Certification granted! (Phase 1) December 2010 A worldwide first laser electronic scoring target for air guns and small bore rifle World s most accurate target Threefold infrared (harmless) laser measurement Contact free shot measurement in the target plane No parallax errors Low maintenance Weatherproof for outdoor shooting Worldwide patent application Integrated target illumination (optional) Witness screen by paper strip (optional) Superior cost/performance ratio Supplier of the whole Shooting Electronics incl. Shotgun for the Games in Beijing Official ISSF Result Provider Worldwide the only system with ISSF-approval for all disciplines When reliability counts SIUS AG Im Langhag 1 CH-8307 Effretikon Switzerland Phone Fax admin@sius.com Ready for LONDON SIUS welcomes the challenge to make the Shooting competitions 2012 an even more memorable event for shooters and spectators.

10 WC CONCEPCION ThE WORLD CUP SERIES STARTS IN ChILE 2011 ISSF WORLD CUP IN CONCEPCIóN, ChILE T he President of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Eugenio Garbarino, the President of Chile s Shooting Federation, Mr. Pedro González, and the Governor of Concepción, Mr. Carlos González, recalled those difficult moments, while welcoming the shooters from the Opening Ceremony s stage. It was a terrible natural event which jeopardized the organization of the competition. But, in spite of all the difficulties associated with the disaster, the Organizing Committee was able to make it. I am very happy to be here today, to open the first stage of the 2011 ISSF World Cup, said the President of the ISSF, addressing shooters and local authorities at the opening ceremony. Through your efforts, you proved what the South American people are capable of. In spite of the tragic situation of your wounded land, you were able to deliver an excellent competition. Chile s Shooting Federation has been entrusted with the organization of the World Cup Stage in Two years later, in 2010, a terrible earthquake hit the city of Concepción President Vazquez Raña remarked, awarding the President s Button, the ISSF highest honor, to Mr. Pedro González In spite of that disastrous event, the Organizing Committee made it. And I am proud to officially inaugurate this competition today. in spite of The earthquake you made it, said issf president olegario vázquez raña To The organizers of The 2011 issf shotgun world cup in concepción, chile. This year s world cup series started in south america. exactly one year ago, february 27, 2010, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit concepción. The city shook for Three endless minutes, and The quake was followed by a Tsunami ThaT struck The whole region. Twelve months later, The city welcomed hundreds of athletes from all around The world. More than 300 athletes came from 47 nations to participate in this World Cup Stage, which took place at the Stadio Italiano shooting club of Concepción, seeking the Olympic Quota Places to be awarded there. London is the objective of this year s ISSF World Cup participants. With ten Olympic cards, and hundreds of athletes pursuing them, Concepción s competition turned out to be tough and challenging. A match where records were required in order to win. Marco Dalla Dea & Ricardo VIDAL CRISOSTOMO 10 ISSF NEWS

11 WC CONCEPCION CONCEPCIóN: A RECORD EVENT A perfect background, a great light and the absence of wind turned Concepción s shooting range into the best place to shoot a record. The competition started with a new World Record scored by Russia s Vitaly Fokeev at the Double Trap event. The 37-year old Russian shooter scored 148 targets, breaking a long-lasting world record. Michael Diamond had set the previous 147-record thirteen years ago, in Two more records were then scored at the Skeet Men event. The Czech Republic s Jan Sychra matched both the World and the Final World Record of 125 and 150 hits, finishing on the podium and winning an Olympic Quota Place for his country. A great achievement, if we consider that it was just the third time that the Final World Record was tied in the history of this event (the first two times the record had been matched by Norway s Tore Brovold). ThE MEDALS STANDING The Russian team turned out to be the most successful at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Sydney, with three medals, one of each color. Following them, the People s Republic of China also started in a great way, placing in second in the overall medal standings with one Gold and two Silvers. Three nations tied in third place: San Marino, Turkey and the Czech Republic obtained one Gold medal each. ThE MEDAL STANDINGS OLYMPIC QUOTA PLACES BY EVENT RK NOC G S B TOTAL 1 RUS ChN TUR 1 1 SMR 1 1 CZE ESP NOR GBR USA 2 2 TOTAL EVENT TRAP MEN DOUBLE TRAP MEN SKEET MEN TRAP WOMEN SKEET WOMEN NAMES oguzhan Tuzun (Tur), pavel Gurkin (rus) vitaly fokeev (rus), robert wilson (Gbr) jan sychra (cze), Tore brovold (nor) alessandra perilli (smr), fatima Galvez (esp) chiara cainero (ita), marina ezhova (rus) ISSF NEWS 11

12 WC CONCEPCION 2 GALVEZ, Fatima (ESP) 1 PERILLI, Alessandra (SMR) 3 TKACh, Elena (RUS) TRAP WOMEN SAN MARINO DREAMS OF LONDON The whole country is smaller than a block of a regular city. But they are accustomed to face bigger nations in every field, and sports are no exception. San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world with only 31 thousands of citizens, made it to the world s biggest sports festival: the 2012 Olympic Games of London. And it won t be a wild card to grant San Marino a start in the next Olympics. Alessandra Perilli won a Quota Place at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Concepción, Chile, obtaining a spot in the next Games. The 22-year old athlete won the most important prize at the Trap Women Final by finishing in first place with a total score of 92 hits. Entering the final match in first place with a qualification score of 71 hits, with one target of advantage over her followers, she turned out to be invincible. And, with 21 more hits in the final, Alessandra earned the Gold and made San Marino s Olympic dream come true. This is not the first time that the small country qualifies thanks to shooting. San Marino s best results ever at the Olympics were achieved by Francesco Nanni, fifth at the 50m Rifle Prone Men final during the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. His team-mate Emanuela Felici, a Trap Shooter, made it twice to an Olympic Final, finishing in seventh place both at the 2000 as well as at the 2004 Olympics, just like Francesco Amici, Trap Men finalist in Athens. Shooting is a traditional sport widely practiced in this small nation, which has witnessed the birth of several champions within its tiny borders. And Perilli s family is no exception, with two sisters competing at international levels. I love my family very much, they have always supported me and they are part of this victory, Alessandra said, shedding a few tears of joy, while thinking of her sister Arianna, a two-time European Champion (2005 and 2006), who shoots for Italy. She was born on the other side of the border, so she s shooting for our neighbors. There s only a line dividing us from Italy. We speak Italian, but we re a different nation, we were already there when Italy did not even exist. San Marino is considered the oldest Republic of the world, as tradition dates its foundation back to 301 AC, while Italy just celebrated its 150 th birthday. I am very emotional about earning this Quota Place for my country, and winning the Gold medal! Alessandra added after the award ceremony, as the victory triggered loud celebrations in her homeland, which is often tagged as the land of freedom. I have worked a lot to get here, and the joy of the people of San Marino is the best reward. Concepción s trap final round also turned into a fairy tale for 24-year old Spanish shooter Fátima Gálvez, who closed the match in second place earning the Silver with a total score of 91 hits. After qualifying with 70 hits, Gálvez fought neck and neck against Perilli trying to earn the Gold. But with 21 hits in the final, she could not catch up the qualification s leader. No worries though, this story has a happy ending: with the Silver medal, Gálvez also took home the second Olympic Quota granted at this competition. The other finalists finished behind them. Russia s Elena Tkach won the Bronze with 88 (70+18 hits). She was followed by Nihan Kantarci in fourth with 87 (69+18) targets, while the Olympic Champion of Beijing, Finland s Makela Nummela-Satu ended up in fifth with 86 (69+17) hits. Then, as the national anthems were fading out after the awards, it was Perilli who declared the last one-liner: Oh my God, I am going to London I will need to learn English now! she said in Italian, with a smile on her face. Competing against China, Russia and other big nations? We are not worried at all! Size does not matter, does it? Awards Trap Women 12 ISSF NEWS

13 WC CONCEPCION SKEET WOMEN OLYMPIC ChAMPIONS FACE TO FACE Three Olympic Champions met in the Skeet Women Final, at the ISSF World Cup in Concepción, Chile. Three shooters who wrote the history of the Games, shooters from Asia, Europe and America: Shan Zhang of China, Chiara Cainero of Italy and Kim Rhode of the USA. They met at the first Skeet Women final round of the year, with different goals to achieve. Starting this story with the Gold medalist, China s Shan Zhang made it to the highest step of the podium. Twenty years after her victory at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the Chinese champion stepped on an ISSF podium once more, winning the match easily. The 42-year old shooter, currently ranked 20th in the world, finished at the top of the scoreboard with a total score of 97 hits. After qualifying for the final with 72 hits, the Chinese athlete shot a perfect final, scoring 25 out of 25 targets, and winning her first ISSF World Cup Gold since I prepared for this match to win, nothing less. And I am still hoping I make it to the next Games, Zhang said after the round. She won the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, defeating men and women, in a mixed event that later on was discontinued as of the 1996 Games of Atlanta. Now that most of those men and women quit shooting, she s still competitive and looks forward to London It will be very difficult. My team-mate Wei Ning won the Quota Place at the ISSF World Championship, the experienced athlete said. And unfortunately, I will not be at the next World Cup stage in Sydney, as I did not make the team, she declared. I am also coach now, and I am coaching some of my team-mates. So, it s not that easy to prepare for the international competitions but I still hope for the best! And there s another champion hoping for the best after the ISSF World Cup in Concepción: 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Chiara Cainero, from Italy, who earned a Quota Place for London there. The 32-year old shooter from Udine obtained a ticket to the next Games just by entering into the final. Qualified with 72 hits, she finished in sixth place with a total score of 96 targets. Enough to earn the Quota, as the other countries represented in the final had already filled their Olympic spot (in the Skeet Women event, each country can win only one Quota place. China already had one, as well as USA and Great Britain). This is the third quota place of my career after ZhANG, Shan (ChN) WEI, Ning (ChN) GRINNELL, Jaiden (USA) Athens and Beijing. I have been working a lot for this, and I am glad that I could earn it at the beginning of the season, Cainero said. I am now on the road to London. I will be in Sydney, at the next ISSF World Cup, since I have already booked the competition. Then I will re-design my training plans: I have to get ready for 2012! The Quota Place goes to the country, but the reigning Olympic Champion already knows she will be representing Italy at the next Games: Our coach told us: who gets the quota goes to London. The Silver medal went to the second Chinese finalist, 2004 Olympic Silver medalist Wei Ning, who finished on the podium with 96 hits, after defeating the USA s Jaiden Grinnell in a shoot-off by 22 to 21 hits. Wei, 28 years old, had already obtained an Olympic Quota Place for the 2012 London Games last August, when she placed in second at the 50 th ISSF World Championship in Munich. But the Olympic team has not been selected, as Chinese shooters will have to go through internal selections. Jaiden Grinnell, 19-years old, had never made it to an ISSF World Cup final round before. The American shooter, qualified with 72 hits, shot 24 targets in the final, won the Bronze with a total score of 96 clays. What about the third Olympic Champion of the match? Kimberly Rhode, Double Trap Olympic Champion in 1996 and 2004, was also part of the final. The American shooter finished in fifth place with 96 hits, just one target ahead of Chiara Cainero. The USA s Olympic team trials are known to be very strict. But the 32-year old multimedalist isn t very worried about that: she has been competing in every Olympiad since 1996, and winning a medal in each edition. Aside from that, she already won a Quota last year, at the 50 th ISSF World Championship in Munich. Would you keep her out of the team? Awards Skeet Women ISSF NEWS 13

14 WC CONCEPCION 1 FOKEEV, Vitaly (RUS) 2 WILSON, Peter Robert Russell (GBR) 3 DOUBLE TRAP MEN RECORD MEN FOKEEV GOES TO LONDON The Double Trap Men final opened the first leg of the 2011 ISSF World Cup Series of the year, and it opened it in the best possible way: with a new World Record. It was a great day for Russian shotgun champion Vitaly Fokeev, who won the match after setting a new world record during the qualifications. The 37-year old athlete turned out to be unstoppable in Concepción. With a qualification score of 148 hits, he broke a record which had remained untouched for 13 years. Australia s Olympic Champion Michael Diamond had established the previous record of 147 hits back in Entering the final match with five targets of advantage, Fokeev went through a smooth final, and turned out to be unreachable by his opponents, ending up on the highest RIChMOND, Joshua (USA) step of the podium with a total score of 194 hits. And the new world record was not the only highlight of his day: along with the most valuable medal, the Russian shooter earned an Olympic Quota Place for his country, an entrance ticket to the next 2012 Games in London, the most important prize. This is the best possible outcome: a Gold medal, a world record and a Quota Place! The winner said right after the final, with a smile on his face. I am glad that the Russian team has now two Quotas (the first one won by Fokeev s team-mate Mosin at the 2010 ISSF World Championship). It s going to be easier for us from now on, even though we have to stay focused. And the Double Trap Men final became a showcase for Great Britain s young flagbearer Peter Robert Russell Wilson. The 25- year old athlete from Dorset obtained the Silver medal with a total score of 190 (142+48) hits, winning the second Olympic Quota Place awarded in Concepción. Wilson, who made it into the final by winning a difficult four-way shoot-off with eight hits, shot the final s highest score, 48 hits, to finish on the podium. I have been shooting well these days. I scored 148 targets yesterday. So I was hoping for a similar result, Wilson said. The British athlete, who started competing internationally just four years ago, attributes part of his success to the coaching of the 2004 Olympic Champion Ahmed Al Maktoum of Dubai When I first met him, we talked about squash, Wilson said. He was a professional squash player, before winning the Olympics in And I played squash a lot. Quite a curious combination, which led to a successful collaboration. He started coaching me after the 2008 Games, when he decided to stop shooting Wilson added I have been training in Dubai a lot, and you have seen the results today. The Bronze medal went to American World Champion Joshua Richmond, with a total score of 189 hits. Richmond had already earned an Olympic Quota Place last August, winning the 2010 ISSF World Championship in Munich. Following him, Italy s Marco Innocenti and Francesco D Aniello finished in fourth and fifth place, with 187 and 184 points respectively. Meanwhile, Hungary s Roland Gerebics closed the match in sixth place with184 hits. Awards Double Trap Men 14 ISSF NEWS

15 Variety wins. LP400 ALU LP400 CARBON New ergonomics: New grip shape in six sizes, 3D-MEMORY grip setting for precise repeatable mounting, variable center of gravity New trigger geometry: Ball bearing-mounted VARIO trigger, maximum adjustment possibilities Smooth shooting: EQUALIZER magnetic absorber system, optimized ECO valve technology prevents shaking Precise shots: RESORBER two-chamber compensator system, calm target image, improved accuracy Easy reloading: Wide breech with precise pellet guide

16 WC CONCEPCION 1 SYChRA, Jan (CZE) SKEET MEN 150 hits TO REACh ThE TOP 150 hits were necessary to win the Skeet Men Final at the 2011 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Concepción, Chile. That s what the Gold medalist, the Czech Republic s Jan Sychra, scored in order to finish on the highest step of the podium, matching the world record and the final world record. A perfect match which earned him a Gold medal and an Olympic Quota Place, a ticket to the next 2012 Olympics. I didn t believe that a 150 record was possible! The Czech shooter said right after the award ceremony. The record was established in 2007 by the current Olympic Champion, Vincent Hancock of the USA. Since then, it has been tied only twice, both times by Norway s Tore Brovold, proving how difficult is to break all the targets in a Skeet match nowadays. Jan Sychra did it, in spite of not being able to perform at his best. It s too cold to shoot in my country. It s very early in the season, and I could not train that much before coming to Chile, he declared. That s why I am surprised with the outcome of this match. The south American sun of Chile helped him, he said. This light helped me a lot. The background is great, and I was in a good mood. That s how I shot a perfect match. 150 hits: this is my first time! Sychra said, wearing the Gold. I had shot 125 targets twice in my life, but I had never made it to the end. 2 BROVOLD, Tore (NOR) 3 After such a great outcome, the Czech shooter re-planned his road to London I want to step aside for younger shooters, now that I have got an Olympic Quota, he said. They should have their chance as well. I will probably go to London, and I have to prepare for that, said the Czech shooter, who competed in the 1996, 2004 and 2008 Games. Another record-setting athlete, Norway s Tore Brovold, earned the second Olympic Quota Place awarded in Skeet, finishing in second place with a total score of 148 hits. A great score, but not enough to catch up with an inspired Sychra. The 40-year Olympic Silver medalist of Beijing did not mind finishing in second place, as the Olympic Quota Place was the prize in everyone s sights. The Quota goes to the country, but the Norwegian shooter already knows he will shoot at the 2012 Olympics, and he might surprise his fans in London. I will try to shoot Trap as well, in 2012 he said, half-jokingly. I will try to convince my coach to let me shoot Trap at the World Cup in Maribor. If I obtain the MQS, I could extend my stay at the Games he said smiling. I did not expect such a result today. When I first saw the background I was UNDSETh, Ole Eilif (NOR) skeptic about it: too green, that s not what I am used to, he added. The Quota makes it easier for me. I will be shooting at the next two ISSF World Cup Stages in Sydney and Beijing. Then we will decide how to proceed on the path to London, Brovold concluded. Norway s coach, Per Moen, had reasons to celebrate: two medals, as the Bronze went to the second Norwegian shooter, Ole Eilif Undseth, third with targets after winning a shoot-off against Cuba s veteran Guillermo Torres (a 52-year old 1980-Olympian) who closed the match in fourth with hits. The USA s Frank Thompson, and Denmark s Andres Golding, followed in fifth and sixth place, with 146 and 145 hits, respectively. Awards Skeet Men 16 ISSF NEWS

17 WC CONCEPCION TRAP MEN TUZUN IS ThE MAN TO BEAT Some said he was lucky. Some said the homecourt factor helped him a lot. Well, Turkey s Oguzhan Tuzun proved that they were all wrong, winning the Trap Men final at the 2011 ISSF World Cup in Concepción, Chile. We might even say that this was the second act of a fairy tail. Tuzun s story started miles away from Concepción. To be precise, it started in Turkey, his home country, where he won his first ISSF Gold medal at the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final held in Izmir last October. There he competed as a result of a wild card given to the host country, and his victory surprised the shooting expert. It was his lucky day some said. He has never won an international match before. But it wasn t a matter of luck, and he came to Concepción to prove it. Making it into the final with the highest qualification score, 123 hits, he left few his followers far behind. After missing the very first target, the Turkish shooter zeroed in, and cleared the following 22 clays. Around him, his opponents started missing one target after the other, dealing with the pressure of the match. So, although he missed his last two clays, Tuzun finished on the highest step of the podium with a total score of 145 (123+22) hits. And the Turkish shooter had an additional reason to celebrate his victory. In fact, aside from the Gold medal, Oguzhan took home an Olympic Quota place, qualifying for the next Olympics. Qualifying for the Games has been my aim forever! The Turkish shooter said. I have been training a lot to achieve this goal he added and I would like to dedicate this victory to my family and to my wife: we are expecting baby, who will arrive in July. This is also why it was so important to obtain the Quota here: I probably won t be able to attend the European Championships. Normally, the quota place goes to the country, not to the athlete, Diego Gasperini, Tuzun s coach, said. But in his case, I Awards Trap Men 1 2 GURKIN, Pavel (RUS) 3 can already say that he s going to London. He s the best Trap shooter we have. With a total score of 143 (122+21) clays, the Silver medal, and the second quota place, went to Russia, thanks to Pavel Gurkin, 45 years old, who won a spine chilling four-way shoot-off with 9 hits. The Russian shooter met and beat some of the best shooters of the world, finally earning the Olympic Qualification. The first to leave the shoot-off was San Marino s veteran Francesco Amici, who closed the match in fifth with a total score of 143 hits + 1 target in the shoot-off. Then it was twotime Australia s Olympic Champion Michael Diamond s turn, who also missed his second shoot-off target finishing in fourth with hits. With 143 targets, and 8 shoot-off hits, the Bronze medal went to Spain s three-time World Cup medalist Jesus Serrano. Marco Dalla Dea TUZUN, Oguzhan (TUR) SERRANO, Jesus (ESP) ISSF NEWS 17

18 WC SYDNEY RECORD NUMBERS IN SYDNEY 2011 ISSF COMBINED WORLD CUP IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA The 2011 issf world cup season proceeded with a combined stage ThaT Took place at The 2000 olympic shooting range of sydney, australia, from march a world cup stage ThaT became a new milestone in history of The issf, as The issf president, mr olegario vázquez raña, said. I t has been record event, as the ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber called it, with more than 700 athletes participating in the fifteen Olympic events of Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun Shooting. More than 1000 starts were recorded in Sydney, turning it into the biggest ISSF World Cup event ever, with athletes coming from 68 different nations. In this city, on these targets, true champions wrote a piece of Olympic history, eleven years ago. And on these targets, today, a new generation of athletes tried to work their way towards the next 2012 London Games, to continue writing new Olympic milestones. The 2011 ISSF World Cup Series was an Olympic-qualifying event: thirty-four Quota Places, the passes to London, were to be awarded here: a big prize for young shooters hungry for success. ISSF PRESIDENT OPENS ThE GAMES The ISSF President, Mr. Olegario Vazquez Raña, officially opened the match, joining representatives of the Organizing Committee and local authorities on the opening ceremony s stage. During the event, Mr. Olegario Vázquez Raña awarded the President s Button, the highest honor given by the ISSF, to the Chairman of the Organizing Photos: Phillip Blom 18 ISSF NEWS

19 WC SYDNEY Committee, Nick Sullivan. An honor that was also awarded to ISSF Technical Delegate Alexandros Dimakakos later on during the competition. Shooters, participate in the spirit of fair play for your countries. The world will be watching Sydney and this record competition. Show them that Shooting is an exciting sport! Mr. Olegario Vázquez Raña exclaimed during the ceremony, standing next to the President of Australian International Shooting Limited Cheryl Arnol and to the Mayor of Liverpool City Wendy Waller. I am very happy to be in the beautiful Olympic city of Sydney. I always feel home here with the hospitality of the Australian people, added the ISSF President, who spent ten days in Sydney along with the ISSF Vice- President Gary Anderson and ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber to follow the competitions. AUSTRALIA DELIVERED A WORLD-CLASS EVENT It was also a great success for the Organizing Committee of this massive combined World Cup. Dealing with more than 700 athletes who needed to enter the country, train, compete, store their guns, find them accommodations and establish a proper transportation service is not easy. But the Australian Organizing Committee did it brilliantly. And it was provided great satisfaction to the President of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Nick Sullivan, Secretary General of Australian International Shooting Limited. This event showed that Australia is capable of putting on a world-class event, Mr. Sullivan said. The competition level definitely exceeded our expectations. The biggest event we have had before in Australia was 530 competitors for a combined World Cup. To receive 200 extra competitors has overwhelmed us, but we made it. The competition took place in one of the best shooting ranges of the world, the 2000 Olympic Shooting Range, which still looks great eleven years after its inauguration. We have been working on this competition for the last twelve months. It s an improved venue, compared to the last World Cup held here. We worked on sponsorships and on the look of the final ranges, commented Mr. Sullivan, referring to the Rifle & Pistol final hall and the Shotgun Final Range, which were refitted to be more media-friendly. Of course there is some room for improvement, and we are working on it. We would like to have an extra shotgun range, and we hope this will be possible in the future, he added. We would like to organize more events in the future concluded Sullivan we will surely apply for two more World Cups, in 2013 and ThOUSAND REPLAYS ON YOUTUBE All the TV footage produced during the 2011 ISSF Combined World Cup in Sydney has been uploaded on the new ISSF YouTube Channel at the new video portal of the International Shooting Sport Federation. All the 15 finals, from the first to the last shot, the highlights of the competitions and the interviews with the shooting sport stars were made available for replay on the world s most popular video portal. As a result of it, more than 7000 video replays per day were recorded during the competitions in Sydney, with peaks of viewers watching the highlights of the toughest matches. During competition days, more than videos were replayed, making of this combined World Cup the most successful ISSF event on YouTube, this year. USA AND ChINA WON MEDALS, JAPAN ThE honors The United States of America finished at the top of the medal standings of this record ISSF Combined World Cup with three Gold and three Silver medals, for a total of six awards. The America team topped the results of the People s Republic of China, which finished in second, with two Gold, one Silver and five Bronze medals. Showing great determination, it was Team Japan which stood on the medal standings third place, with two Gold medals, OLYMPIC QUOTA PLACES BY EVENT ThE MEDAL STANDINGS RK NOC G S B TOTAL 1 USA ChN JPN ITA UKR CRO CZE ESP GBR GEO SMR RUS CYP FIN FRA IRI GER BUL KOR SVK TOTAL both won by their flag bearer Tomoyuki Matsuda. The strong-minded two-time Pistol World Champion, who survived the terrible tsunami just three weeks before, won both the 10m and the 50m Pistol events, dedicating the medals to his wounded homeland. Thirty-four Olympic Quotas, the passes to the next 2012 London Games, were awarded during the competition. EVENT NAMES 50M RIFLE 3 POSITIONS MEN jozef Gonci (svk), Thomas farnik (aut) 50M RIFLE PRONE MEN weiyi wang (chn), eric uptagrafft (usa) 10M AIR RIFLE MEN pierre edmond piasecki (fra), Tao wang (chn), are hansen (nor) 50M PISTOL MEN francesco bruno (ita), wei pang (chn) 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL MEN martin podhrasky (cze), viatcheslav kalioujnyi (rus) 10M AIR PISTOL MEN oleg omelchuk (ukr), Tian zhang (chn), juraj Tuzinsky (svk) TRAP MEN rodolfo vigano (ita), stefan ruettgeroth (Ger) DOUBLE TRAP MEN richard faulds (Gbr), francesco d aniello (ita) SKEET MEN luigi lodde (ita), richard brickell (Gbr) 50M RIFLE 3 POSITIONS WOMEN laurence brize (fra), sylwia bogacka (pol) 10M AIR RIFLE WOMEN snjezana pejcic (cro), elaheh ahmadi (iri), darya Tykhova (ukr) 25M PISTOL WOMEN jing yuan (chn), antoaneta boneva (bul) 10M AIR PISTOL WOMEN nino salukvadze (Geo), olena kostevych (ukr), chia chen Tien (Tpe) TRAP WOMEN nihan kantarci (Tur), soyeon eom (kor) SKEET WOMEN Therese lundqvist (swe), lauryn mark (aus) ISSF NEWS 19

20 WC SYDNEY 1ST 10M & 50M AIR PISTOL MEN: MATSUDA, Tomoyuki (JPN) 10M AIR PISTOL MEN 2nd OMELChUK, Oleg (UKR) 3rd ZhANG, Tian (ChN) Awards 10m Air Pistol Men 20 ISSF NEWS