The main events of the last days at the shooting world championship in Zagreb are the gold medals of Lyubov Galkina and Artem Hadzhibekov. They are complemented by "bronze" by Sergei Alifirenko.
The series of failures that haunted the Russian national team in personal competitions all week was finally interrupted. According to the results of the Olympic disciplines, our team has six personal awards.
Artem Hadzhibekov won the world title in 1996, however, in air rifle shooting. He was not considered the favorite in the practice of shooting from a small-caliber rifle from three positions from 50 meters. Perhaps this liberated the experienced athlete who had already stumbled in the current championship. He entered the final group with a score of 1176, having an advantage of five points. “Some people think that five points is a big handicap. But for me it doesn’t mean anything. The last ten shots can equally turn you into a winner and a loser, ”said the 36-year-old shooter from the Moscow region. The truth of this thesis, he confirmed in practice. Among the eight finalists, Hadzhibekov was third in terms of performance, but a touch of five points ensured him a victory.
Hadzhibekov’s accuracy was very helpful to his comrades - Sergey Kovalenko and Vyacheslav Bochkarev. Having knocked out 1177 points at the turn, the Olympic champion practically guaranteed them a team award.
Two-time world champion leaves from Zagreb and Lyubov Galkina. To the team “gold” she added a personal victory in shooting from a small-caliber rifle from three positions from 50 meters. The expected result: two years ago Galkina became the Olympic champion in this exercise.
Galkina turned out to be the only representative of Russia in the group of finalists, entering it with the best result - 586. However, the decisive half an hour made the fans worry. The denouement came only on the last shot. If Sylvia Bogachka from Poland took aim as carefully as in the previous nine attempts, she would have won the title of champion. But the number 8.9 that appeared on the scoreboard dispelled all her hopes.
“It was a very nervous confrontation. I'm glad that everything ended well. At the Olympic Games, I had to fight first of all with my own emotions, while here the most difficult was the technical aspect, ”Galkina later admitted.
In Zagreb, she won the first “gold” of the world championship in her career. It tastes no less sweet than the Olympic one.
Gold of the Russian national team
World Shooting Championship
Zagreb (Croatia)
Small bore rifle, three positions 50 m
Men
1. A. Hadzhibekov (Russia) - 1273.5
2. S. Pletikosic (Serbia and Montenegro) - 1269.1
3.L. Jean (China) - 1268.4
Team tournament
1. Russia - 3498
2. Austria - 3482
3. USA - 3482
Small bore rifle, 50 m, 3x20
Women
1. L. Galkina (Russia) - 684.3
2. S. Bogachka (Poland) - 683.8
3. S. Feilschifter (Germany) - 683.4
Team tournament
1. Russia - 1739
2. Germany - 1738
3. China - 1734