Australia placed two shooters atop of the Trap Women podium, today, at the 2013 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Al Ain (UAE).
22-year old Oceania Champion Laetisha Scanlan won today’s brightest medal at the Trap Women competition, outdoing her 23-year old teammate Carherine Skinner in the Gold medal match by 14 hits to 10.
Scanlan only missed three targets throughout the whole competition. The young Australian athlete qualified for the semi-final with a qualification score of 73 hits out of 75 targets. Then, she led the semi-finals with a perfect score of 15 hits. Then, with only one miss in the Gold medal match, she climbed up on the highest step of the podium.
“This is amazing! This is my first win in an ISSF World Cup Stage, and it feels great!” Scanlan said.
“I know the new rules are controversial, but I like them. With the final phases starting from zero, there’s a chance for the underdogs to come out and get a medal. New rules are exciting, and work for me.” The Australian shooter said, mentioning the new competition format introduced by the ISSF in 2013, which zeroes the qualification scores letting all the finalists start from zero.
“The best thing of the day? Getting onto the podium, and receiving my Gold medal!” Scanlan commented.
Today’s Bronze medal went to the 2012 Olympic Champion Jessica Rossi of Italy, 21, who finished on the podium after outdoing Germany’s 29-year old Jana Beckmann.
Rossi scored 72 targets during the qualifications, and then cleared the semi-final with 11 hits. Advancing to the Bronze medal match, she outdid Beckmann 14 to 12 hits, winning her second ISSF World Cup medal of the season following Acapulco’s World Cup Silver.
Beckman placed fourth, just like she had done three weeks ago, while competing in the first ISSF Shotgun World Cup of the season in Acapulco, Mexico.
Great Britain’s Charlotte Kerwood and Carole Cormenier placed in fifth and sixth place with an equal score of 10 hits in the semi-final.
More than 350 shooters coming from 50 countries are competing in the 2013 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Al Ain, UAE, from the 17th through the 24th of April.
The competition will continue tomorrow with the Trap Men final. Follow the match on www.issf-sports.org