Rio de Janeiro, Aug 12, 2016: Olympic Women Skeet event, Diana Bacosi won an all-Italian gold medal match at today’s Skeet Women event at the Olympic Shooting Centre in Deodoro, beating her teammate Chiara Cainero 15 to 14 hits.
Bacosi, a 33-year old first-time Olympian, passed through the semi-final with a perfect score of 16 hits out 16 targets, advancing to the medal match together with the 2008 Olympic Champion Cainero (38). The two teammates, both world record holders and ranked 5th and 4th in the world, walked into the field of play hand in hand.
“I am very happy to finish this adventure with Chiara. We started together, we worked together on the road to Rio, and we finished together,” said gold medallist Bacosi.
“As a team, we could not do anything more for our country, today,” silver medallist Cainero added.
“Three mums were on this podium,” continued Cainero. “Diana, Kimberly, myself, we all have children, and we all know how difficult it is to be a competitive athletes and good parents at the same time.”
USA’s Kimberly Rhode (37) climbed upon the third step of the podium, making history as she secured her sixth individual Olympic medal in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games participation, a record.
Rhode is also the most decorated women Olympic shooter in the history of the sport, having won 3 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals between 1996 and 2016, in two different events (Double Trap and Skeet Women).
The American athlete beat Wei Meng of the People’s Republic of China (27) by 7 to 6 hits in a shoot-off at the end of the bronze medal match, as the two athletes tied with 15 hits out of 16 targets each.
“I was 16-year old when I went to the Olympics (in Atlanta 1996). I was very emotional out there today, having competed for the more than 20 years. Six out of six, it’s truly unbelievable. I am completely humbled for the complete experience; it has been a great journey. Hopefully I will see you back in Tokyo. I’m going to try for a seventh.”
Earlier today, Henri Junghaenel of Germany secured Gold at the 50m Rifle Prone Men final. The 28-year old athlete led throughout the whole final, zeroing in after a disappointing qualification (624.8 points, 8th place) to finish atop of the podium with 209.5 points (a new Final Olympic Record).
“It’s overwhelming, especially after I missed the last Olympic Games by just a very little, so I already accomplished everything with standing here in the final,” said Junghaenel, commenting on the match.
Junghaenel upset Republic of Korea’s Kim Jonhyun (31) – the London 2012’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions silver medalist – who finished in second with 208.2 points today. Russia’s first time Olympian Kirill Grigorian (24) pocketed the Bronze with 187.3 points. —- ISSF
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