Three-time Olympic champion Kimberly Rhode underlined her enduring class by clinching a record-extending 27th ISSF World Cup gold medal, defeating fellow American Samantha Simonton 34-32 in the women’s skeet final at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou on Thursday.
The 47-year-old, a six-time Olympic medallist, led the final from start to finish to seal her 41st World Cup medal as the United States completed a one-two finish on the podium.
“I guess this medal is the same as all the others. It’s not something we keep track of,” Rhode said after the victory. “But it’s amazing to be out there with so many talented athletes. Every year the standard keeps rising and we keep pushing each other. It’s been an incredible season and I’m super excited to be here.”
China’s Che Yufei secured the bronze medal with 28 hits, earning only the second World Cup medal of her career. The 27-year-old said competing against Rhode and Simonton was a valuable learning experience.
“I’m definitely very happy. My opponents were very strong, and I think I performed quite well today. I’m fairly satisfied with my performance, but I still need to close the gap with them and strive to surpass them,” she said.
China’s Jiang Yiting, who topped qualification with 123 hits and won mixed team bronze at the Paris Olympics, finished fifth after losing a tiebreak, while compatriot Jiang Chaoyu placed seventh. Later, Jiang’s Paris Olympic mixed team partner Lyu Jianlin claimed bronze in the men’s skeet event with 29 hits.
In the women’s 50m rifle three positions, Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh produced a strong standing-stage comeback to edge China’s Han Jiayu by just 0.3 points. McIntosh finished with 362.6 points against Han’s 362.3, while Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad took bronze with 347.6 points. China’s Zhang Liyuan finished fourth.
The men’s skeet title went to Qatar’s Rashid Saleh Al-Athba, who equalled the world record with 35 hits after missing only one target in the final. He defeated Spain’s Jose Maria Mielgo Moneo by a single target, while Peru’s Nicolas Pacheco Espinosa finished fourth behind China’s Lyu Jianlin.
The ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou will run till July 28, with medals in the women’s 10m air pistol and men’s 25m rapid fire pistol events to be decided on Friday.
(IANS)
