50m Rifle Prone – Martynov grabbed the title, Emmons USA's first Quota Place

Belarus' Marynov secured his second title by 0.1 points, Matthew Emmons claimed the first 2012 Olympic Quota of the US team

42-year old Belarusian shooter Sergei Martynov won his second consecutive World Championship title in the 50m Rifle Prone men event today, securing an Olympic Quota Place, a pass to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The two-time Olympic Bronze medallist of Sydney and Athens finished on the highest step of today’s podium with a total score of 703.9 (599+104.9) points after a spine-chilling last shot.

After leading the qualification rounds with 599 points, and shooting an average higher than 10.5 per shot throughout the first part of the match, Martynov fired a frustrating 9.8-point last shot, finishing in first with just one tenth of a point of advantage over the Silver medallist Sauveplane of France (which means less than one millimetre of difference on a target set 50 meter far from them).

By winning his second consecutive title four years after the 2006 ISSF World Championship in Zagreb, Martynov also become the first-ever ISSF World Championship multi-medallist in the 50m Rifle Prone Men event: nobody, before Martynov, had ever been able to win two WCH medals in this competition.

“Of course I am happy. But I have to admit that I am somehow used to win: this is not my first victory!” Said the shy Belarusian athlete to the EBU cameras right after the last, breathtaking shot “This tile means to me that I am not too old to compete in the next Olympic Games!” concluded Martynov, who will be 44-year old in 2012.

The French athlete Valerian Sauveplane, who claimed Silver with a total score of 703.8 (599+104.8) points, turned out to be a little bit unlucky, today. After making it into the final tied to Martynov with a qualification of 599 points, he missed the Gold by 0.1 points in spite of an almost-perfect last shot of 10.8.

Next to the Silver medal, Sauveplane was also granted the second of the five 2012 Olympic Quota Places to be awarded in this event. Next to the Silver medal, Sauveplane was also granted the second of the five 2012 Olympic Quota Places to be awarded in this event.

Taking the Bronze with a total of 702.2 (598+104.2) points, USA’s Matthew Emmons won an Olympic Quota places, becoming the first American athlete qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 29-year old American shooter from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, a 2004 Olympic Champion of Athens and 2008 Olympic Silver medallist of Beijing, had already won an ISSF World Championship edition in 2002, in Lathi, Finland, right before his success at the 2004 Games.

“It’s great to be the one who grabbed the first Olympic Quota for America.” Said Matthew after the match “Of course, I am not automatically qualified. The Quota goes to the US Shooting team, and all the American shooters are passing through a qualification system in order to decide who will go to the next Games.” Concluded Emmons, who has always being representing the USA at the Olympics since he started shooting internationally in 2001.

The last two Quota Places awarded in this competition went to Norway’s Vebjoern Berg and India’s Harlom Singh, who placed in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Vebjoern Berg, a 30-year old Engineer from Blaker (NOR) placed in fifth with 701.4 (598+103.4) points, gaining a pass for London two years after his foruth palce at the 2008 Olympics of Beijing.

India’s Singh, a real surprise on the international shooting panorama, secured an Olympic Quota for his country with a score of 700.9 (598+102.9) points, outscoring his teammates at his first participation ever in an international shooting competition.

“The silver medal makes me happy of course. I'm getting used to be the "vice”… I've been European vice-champion, now I'm world vice-champion.” Said Sauveplabe “I am extremely satisfied with the Quota. I have been looking for an Olympic pass throughout the last two Olympic cycles without getting one, so I know what’s the it’s value”.