China's Jiang wins women's skeet gold with perfect scores at ISSF World Cup Final

Doha (Qatar), Dec 8 (IANS) China Olympic bronze medallist Jiang Yiting delivered a perfect 36 hits from 36 targets to win the women skeet title as the ISSF World Cup Final concluded in Doha on Monday. Jiang, who claimed mixed team bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, led qualification with 123 hits, equalling her own junior world record.

The Asian champion maintained her momentum in the final, shooting first and completing every stage without error before defeating defending champion and world champion Samantha Simonton of the United States in the final duel.

This medal is very surprising for me, and I am very happy to get the gold because it only the second ISSF World Cup Final I have been in, said the 21-year-old, who ranked sixth in her World Cup Final debut in 2023. The new format has been a challenge for me, but during the daily training, we also had specialised training in the new format, so I was confident.

Simonton, who has earned two golds and two silvers from four World Cups this year, took silver with 34 hits. Greece Emmanouela Katzouraki finished third with 28, and China Che Yufei placed fourth, reports Xinhua.

In the men skeet, Christian Elliott also cleared all 36 targets to lead an all-American podium, joined by four-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock with 35 hits and Dustan Taylor with 31.

The new format is quick. It a sprint, commented Elliott. With eight athletes, it really is a sprint; it pays to be perfect, but even then I foresee some people being perfect in the first 12 and being bibbed out, which will enhance the need for a good qualification score for a good number.

In the women trap final, Olympic silver medalist Silvana Maria Stanco of Italy edged Alessandra Perilli of San Marino through two rounds of shoot-off after both shot 26 of 30. Rumeysa Pelin Kaya of Türkiye took bronze.

The men trap gold went to William Hinton of the United States with 29 hits. Olympic bronze medallist Jean Pierre Brol Cardenas of Guatemala followed with 28, and America Walton Eller finished third. China Olympic silver medalist Qi Ying placed fifth.

As the World Cup Final concluded, China topped the medal table with four gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. India finished second with two golds, three silvers, and one bronze, while the United States ranked third with a 2-2-2 tally.

--IANS

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