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❆ GOLD WENZEL, Christine (GER)
WENZEL CONQUERED BEIJING
The Skeet Women’s event was the first to
take place under the snow. The qualification
rounds were held under an intense snowfall,
with temperatures far below zero. The field
was covered by 30 centimeters of snow, the
shooters had to allow the range personnel
to shovel the stations, and a critical visibility
made everything more difficult: shooting skeet
targets seemed almost impossible, as they disappeared
in and out the storm of snowflakes.
Competing in such severe weather conditions,
German top shooter Christine Wenzel
(Christine Brinker before her marriage last
September) won the competition regardless
of the snow that continued to fall during the
final round. The German athlete, winner of the
ISSF World Championship last July, stepped
up on the highest step of the podium when
she had started in fourth place after the qualification.
The snowfall and the severe weather
conditions did not seem to impress her much,
as she shot the highest final score of 21 hits
out of 25 targets, tying with the qualification’s
leader, Italy’s Spada, at the last station. The
reigning World Champion did not waste her
advantage, and kept the focus throughout the
shoot-off. Italy’s Spada shot first, missing both
targets of the shoot-off double on station four.
Wenzel regrouped for a moment, and then
called her shoot-off double. Shooting calmly,
she only hit the low-house clay, ignoring the
second bird. “I completely forgot it! – she exclaimed
right after the shoot-off – I saw Spada
had missed both, so I decided to concentrate
only on one target. That was enough to win. I
thought I had to give my best on the first target,
to be sure to win. As I hit the low-house
clay I thought: I won! And I completely forgot
the other one. I am so happy!”
Wenzel, 28-years old, an Olympic Bronze
medalist of Beijing, concluded the season by
winning today’s Gold with a total score of 90+1
hits, closing a successful year that saw her rise
in the World Ranking. “This is a beautiful day!
– said Wenzel – Actually, this has been a great
year. I just got married to Tino, and I am really
satisfied with my athletic results. I am looking
forward to the 2010 season, I will try to
be in the best shape. The first Olympic Quota
Places will be assigned nest year, at the ISSF
World Championship in Munich. I will try to
defend my title, aiming for an Olympic spot.”
A second shoot-off closed the Skeet Women’s
Final round. Katiuscia Spada landed in second
place winning Silver with an overall score
of 90+0 hits, and the Russian finalist Svetlana
Demina secured Bronze with 89+1 hits, defeating
young American shooter Caitlin Connor,
who missed both her shoot-off targets.
SKEET
WOMEN
❆ SILVER SPADA, Katiuscia (ITA)
❆ BRONZE DEMINA, Svetlana (RUS)
❆ Awards Skeet Women
WCF BEIJING
ISSF NEWS 23