Pang Wei of the People’s Republic of China, 30, secured the first gold medal of the 2016 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final in Bologna, Italy, as he won today’s 50m Pistol Men final. The 50m Pistol Men World Cup title goes therefore to a Chinese shooter for the fifth consecutive time: Zhang Bowen had won it in 2015, Wang Zhiwei in 2014 and 2013, Zhang Tian in 2012.
Pang, ranked 5th in the world, scored 190.6 points today, to beat India’s 29-year old Jitu Rai by 1.8 points. Rai scored 188.8 points, finishing second place and collecting his first world cup final medal in career.
Local hero Giuseppe Giordano of Italy, supported by the home crowd here in Bologna, pocketed the Bronze medal with a score of 170.3 points.
Pang, a 2008 Olympic Champion, arrived here in Bologna after shining at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he collected the 10m Air Pistol Bronze medal. And it’s at the same 10m Air Pistol Men event that he will meet again Giordano and Rai on October 8th, at 5.15 PM (UTC+2).
The 2013 and 2014 World Cup champion, Pang’s teammate Wang Zhiwei, 28, finished in 4th today, closing the match with 150.9 points. He was followed by Jindrich Dubovy of the Czech Republic, 5h with 131.2 points.
The third Chinese finalist, the 20-year old title defender Zhang Bowen, did not make it to the podium, as he finished in 8th place with 71.6 points, closing his match behind Oleh Omelchuk of the Ukraine (6th with 110.7 points) and Pablo Carrera of Spain (7th with 91.6 points).
The Olympic Champion, Jin Jongoh of the Republic of Korea, is not competing in this World Cup Final.
The ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final continues now with the 50m Rifle Prone Men event. Follow the event live on www.issf-sports.org.