Vadovicova sees off Hiltrop for gold

Veronica Vadovicova bagged her fourth gold to continue a strong season debut at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup podium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday (26 February).

The Slovakian did so in comeback fashion, only securing the lead in the fifth elimination round of the R6 (mixed 50m rifle prone SH1) to win 244.5, a mere .2 better than Germany’s Natascha Hiltrop (244.3).

Hiltrop had the hot hand on Sunday, leading most of the way until scores of 9.9 and 9.2 dropped her behind Vadovicova.

Changes to the number of shots in single position events for this season meant that Vadovicova’s score is a new world record. She added to the golds she won in the R3 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1), R2 (women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1) and R8 (women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1) in Al Ain.

Australia’s Anton Zappelli (222.3) completed the podium in third – his first R6 World Cup medal.

In the team R6 the hosts claimed gold courtesy of Abdulla Sultan Alaryani, Obaid Aldahmani and Abdulla Saif Alaryani (1837.2).

Richard Didier led the scoring for silver medallists France, alongside teammates Christophe Tanche and Cedric Fevre (1817.3). Thailand’s Atidet Intanon, Jiradet Rodtapao and Phiraphong Buengbok (1817.1) were third.

Poland’s Szymon Sowinski had full command of the P4 (mixed 50m pistol SH1) to win with a world record 225.1, another shooter to capitalise on the new single position finals format.

It was his second victory and third time reaching the podium in Al Ain; he won the P5 (mixed 10m air pistol standard SH1) and was third in P1 (men’s 10m air pistol SH1).

Ukraine’s Paralympic bronze medallist Oleksii Denysiuk (220.0) and Brazil’s Geraldo Rosenthal (199.2) finished second and third, respectively.

Competition concludes on Monday (27 February) with R5 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2) and R7 (men’s 50m rifle three positions SH1).

Complete, live results can be found on Para World Shooting’s website.

Updates, pictures and videos are also available on Facebook.com/ShootingParaSport and Twitter (@ShootingPara) and Instagram (@ShootingParaSport).