Mon, August 11, 2008
BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Czech shooter David Kostelecky downed all 25 birds in the final of men's trap despite heavy rain at the Beijing Shooting Range, presenting his country a second shooting gold with 146 hits on Sunday.
He also set Olympic record of the discipline, of which new rules were set.
The 33-year-old shared with Russian shooter and reigning Olympic champion, Alexey Alipov the same leading score in the qualification round of 121 hits.
But Alipov seemed not in the form from since beginning of the final. He missed the first and then the fourth orange birds and plunged to the third.
Kostelecky, who won silver at the 2006 World Cup Final, held his nerves to catch each of the plate. His wonderful performance aroused applauses from audiences.
Silver medal was won by Italian shooter Giovanni Pellielo, one of the ace shooters in the event who crowned in two World Championships and one World Cup Final.
After the competition, the Czech lay down in the rain and wiped his tears.
"It was hard to tell how I felt then. I just need relax," he said.
The shooter, who started shooting at the age of 15, believed the rain brought him good luck. "My pressure was gone," he said.
Pellielo noted that the final was difficult for him.
"I haven't mounted podiums for one and a half years," said the 38-year-old who clinched a bronze at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and was runner-up in Athens Games.
Thus he noted the medal was significant to hime, especially when it was pocketed in such a difficult competition and bad weather.
Alipov had a shoot-off with Australian shooter Michael Diamond who holds the Olympic qualification record.
Both shooters got the first and the second targets.
When the third flew out, Alipov smashed it again, while Diamond saw it floating away.
The excited Alipov embraced with his wife to celebrate the hard-won bronze.
Ahmed Almaktoum, a member from ruling family of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who brought his country the first Olympic gold in 2004 at the event, scored 110 hits and failed to enter the final.
