First verdicts
The ISSF Junior World Cup in Porpetto has delivered its first results. At the end of the Individual Skeet competitions, Italy climbed to the podium with Marco Coco's silver medal in the men's event. The twenty-one-year-old from Ardea (RM), having finished as the top qualifier with a resounding score of 124/125, topped the first two heats in the final. Unfortunately, a zero on the first clay of the final rotation forced him to chase down Andreas Pontikis of Cyprus. Although the Italian athlete made no further errors, Pontikis maintained the lead, securing the gold medal with a total of 34/36. Coco took second place with a score of 33/36. Hungary's Balint Renner took third place with a score of 29/32.
A pinch of regret
"I'm happy, but I can't hide a bit of regret for that extra zero that weighed on me until the end of the final," Coco confessed after the final. "In sport, as in life, 'ifs' and 'buts' don't get you very far. Mistakes must be accepted and overcome with determination. I succeeded, and thanks to this attitude, I can now enjoy this silver medal. It's a joy I want to share with the entire team, with the Fiamme Oro Sports Group, and with my Federation."
The other results
Antonio La Volpe (Fiamme Oro) from Montegiordano (CS) also qualified for the finals wearing number three with a score of 121/125 +6, but his pursuit of the podium was halted in the first heat, where he finished eighth with a score of 9/12. Antonio Bellu (Carabinieri) from Sant'Antonio di Gallura (OT) and Matteo Bragalli (Fiamme Oro) from Pistoia (PT) were far from qualifying for the decisive round, finishing twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth, respectively, with scores of 115/125. In the women's competition, the medals were won by Russian Varvara Zaitseva (competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete), who took gold with a score of 30/36, compatriot Kseniia Shuliak, who took silver with a score of 29/36, and American Amaris Cerra, who took bronze with a score of 24/32.
Athletes in competition
Eleonora Ruta (Fiamme Oro) of Cisterna (LT) missed a medal opportunity. The Italian athlete entered the final wearing the number one bib thanks to a qualifying score of 118/125 +6, but made too many errors and had to settle for fifth place overall with a score of 18/24. Arianna Nember (Marina Militare) of Lumezzane (BS) and Dalia Buselli (Fiamme Oro) of Pomarance (PI) narrowly missed the final, finishing ninth and thirteenth respectively with identical scores of 111/125, one point less than the qualifying score. Adela Sparapani (Fiamme Oro) of San Vincenzo (LI) finished twenty-second with a score of 106/125.
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