Munich: The victory of the Italian Olympic hope Niccolò Campriani, who won 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men event pocketing his fifth world cup medal of the year, closed the ISSF Rifle & Pistol World Cup Stage held at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich from the 21st through the 27th of May.
This was also the last appointment of the regular season of this year’s ISSF World Cup Series, where athletes from all around the world competed in the fifteen Olympic Shooting events in the disciplines of Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun. The two ISSF World Cup Finals will take place in Maribor, Slovenia (Shotgun events, September 20-26) and in Bangkok, Thailand (Rifle & Pistol events, October 22-28).
This year’s ISSF World Cup Series had kicked-off from Tucson, Arizona, where the first Shotgun World Cup Stage was held in March, to move then to London, where a combined ISSF World Cup Stage in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun events turned into a pre-Olympic test in the frame of the London Prepares Series. The ISSF World Cup Series proceeded then to Lonato (Shotgun events), Milan and finally to Munich (Rifle & Pistol events). 1500 shooters coming from 108 different nations competed in this year’s ISSF World Cup Series (478 Rifle shooters, 376 Pistol shooters, 645 Shotgun shooters), pocketing 45 Gold medals.
“We are very happy of the outturn of athletes and of the results of this year’s ISSF World Cup Series.” The ISSF Secretary General, Franz Schreiber said.
“The ISSF World Cup in all events in London, the Olympic test, was really positive for us. The relationship between the ISSF and the IOC are really close, and we are discussing with them the last details before the Games.” Schreiber continued.
“Munich’s World Cup Stage was the last ISSF event before the Olympics. We are no looking forward to London, and then to the ISSF World Cup Finals, where the best World Cup shooters and the Olympic medallists will meet at the end of the year.” The ISSF Secretary General added.
“We recorded some excellent results here in Munich. – The ISSF Vice President and Technical Delegate for this event, the two-time Olympic Champion Gary Anderson of USA, said - The shooters are peaking on their road to the Games, and once again the ISSF World Cup Series turned out to be a great chance for them to meet and prepare for the Olympics.”
135 shooters have already qualified for the ISSF World Cup Finals to take place later this year in Maribor and Bangkok. The top-8 shooters in each of the fifteen Olympic Shooting events, plus the title defenders of the 2011 ISSF World Cup Series, and the three Olympic medallists of London in each event will be invited to participate in the Finals, which will assign the 2012 ISSF Cups.
