The 2000 Olympic Silver medalist Torben Grimmel of Denmark won today’s 50m Rifle Prone Men Final at the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.
Grimmel secured the brightest medal at the end of a thrilling duel against Australia’s 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist and reigning world champion Warren Potent of Australia, 53.
With two excellent last shots of 10.3 and 10.7 points, the Danish athlete sealed the victory with a final score of 209.1 points, leaving Potent in second with 208.3 points.
The 40-year old shooter came back atop of an ISSF world cup podium 8 years after his last victory in this event, which happened at the 2008 ISSF World Cup in Milan.
“It feels great to be back after 8 years,” Grimmel said, wearing the Gold medal. “I had a work accident, and I had to go through back surgery twice, in 2010 and then again 2013. At that time, I though it was it. But luckily I have been able to recover well, and I had a good season last year, securing an Olympic quota. That was odd-defying.”
“My aim for 2016 is to go to the Olympics and to do well there. And I am confident.” He added.
“We are all training and competing for an Olympic medal. And it’s not easy. I would say there are 10 to 15 people out there who have what it takes to win the Games. It’s unpredictable.”
“How I do prepare for Rio? I am trying to stick to my routines as much as possible.” Continued the Danish shooter. “At the Games, the targets, the people and the scores are more and less the same: the main issue is to cope with the pressure and peak at the right moment. I have already been through it, 16 years ago.”
Following Grimmel and Potent, it was Hungary’s 19-year old Istvan Peni who secured the Bronze medal with 187.3 points, only two days after finishing in third at the 10m Air Rifle Men event.
“Wow! This is amazing, it’s a dream!” Said Peni. “I’d prepared really well for the 10m Air Rifle event, in the lead up to this world cup stage. And that worked really well: I won my first world cup medal, and I also shot a new European Junior Record (630.8 points, breaking the 629.3 points record of Hrachik Babayan (ARM), ed.) ”
“I can’t believe that I made it to the podium also today. Shooting next to these Olympic medalists is definitely inspiring.”
Even more impressing, Peni upset the world cup titleholder and #1 in the world Michael Mcphail of USA (34), to finish upon the podium. Halfway through the final, the top-4 athletes were divided by one point only, and Peni managed to keep Mcphail 0.4 points behind him, winning the medal and leaving the American shooter in 4th with a score of 166.2 points.
The home hero, Thailand’s Vea Aree Attapon (26) finished his first world cup final round in 8th place with 80.9 points after the 8th shot. Two shots later, it was the 2004 Olympic Champion Matthew Emmons of USA (34) who left the match, being eliminated with 102.0 points and taking the 7th place. With 123.4 points, the world record holder Henri Junghaenel (28) from Germany closed the match in 6th place. He was followed a couple of minutes later by his teammate Daniel Brodmeier (28) currently ranked 6th in the world in this event, who was eliminated after shot 14 securing the 5th place with 145.2 points.
The ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, continues this afternoon with the 10m Air Pistol Men event, which will be broadcasted live on www.issf-sports.org starting from 1.15 PM (UTC+7).