Male skeet - Changwon (KOR) - Riccardo Filippelli won the bronze medal in the Men's Skeet of the 52nd Clay Shooting World Championship, also deserving the second Italian Olympic Card for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The soldier from Pistoia, European Champion in the 2016 in Lonato del Garda and gold medal last year in the World Cup Round and in the Final in New Delhi (IND), he hit the most important goal of this world championship, that is the ticket for the Japanese Olympics, climbing on the third step of the world championship podium thanks to a very high level performance. First the unrivaled American Vincent Hancock, two Olympic champion and already three times World Champion, who with the gold won today with a perfect 125/125 in qualifying and an almost perfect 59/60 in the final equaled the record of four world titles for now in the hands of the blue Giovanni Pellielo and the Frenchman Michel Carrega in the Olympic Pit. Silver went to Norwegian Erik Watndal, for the first time on a world podium after an XNUMX-year absence from international competitions.
Returning to the blue, Filippelli closed the qualifications with an excellent 123/125 and won the number three dorsal after winning the play-off with the English Ben Llewellin with +6 to +5. In the final he led the provisional ranking up to the second qualifying round, that is the one for the fifth place, and once he was sure of the Olympic Card (assigned by right to the first four classified, ed) he slightly relaxed the tension by stumbling over two mistakes that forced him to stop his gold rush in third position with the final score of 4/50. “It was not an easy year because it was all about physical, technical and mental preparation for this race, in which I knew I had to do well. For this I can say that I am more than satisfied. I had a great race, lived in the best way possible with great tranquility - commented Filippelli - The only thing I regret is not having kept the tension high throughout the final. After having been sure of the Charter, something fell and I went "the blood in the water". However, I am very happy, both of the podium and of the Charter. In the last four years, the exclusion from the Olympic squad has weighed on me a bit. This time I took the first opportunity to qualify and I hope to be one of the protagonists of the Tokyo race in 2020. From now on I will work with this goal ". Too bad for Gabriele Rossetti. The policeman from Ponte Buggianese (PT), Olympic Champion in Rio 2016, was unable to defend the world title he won last year in Moscow. Having closed the first three series yesterday with 73/75, Gabriele knew that today a 50/50 would have qualified him with certainty for the decisive series. Unfortunately he was close to the result and with 49/50 he closed with 122/125 putting himself in a position to have to play off with six other shooters to deserve two of the six dorsals. His run-up, however, stopped at the second double of the shoot-off and with 122 +3 he had to settle for tenth place.
The performance of Tammaro Cassandro (Carabinieri) from Capua (CE) is definitely subdued. After yesterday's 72nd, to be able to hope for the final, his imperative had to be not to make mistakes, but that didn't happen. This morning he opened with a sluggish 22/25 and the next and more qualifying 24/25 soon served. In the end, his total was 118/125 which anchored him to 52nd place, contributing together with the scores of the other two Azzurri to the winning of the team silver medal with a total of 363/375. “I am very satisfied with the men's race and the great result of Riccardo“ Filippelli, ed) who won a beautiful bronze medal and a very important Olympic Card. It took. We came here for this and it is important - commented the Technical Director Andrea Benelli - I have to congratulate Riccarco (Filippelii, ed) because he drove a smooth race and went ahead in fairly difficult conditions. He was constant and managed to keep his balance and had a good final. I also want to congratulate Gabriele (Rossetti, ed), who had a great race and I am convinced that next year he will be able to give us all the satisfactions he has accustomed us to. A dutiful thanks goes to the Federation and to all its staff for all the support they gave to me and to the team, contributing in a decisive way to the final result ”.
Very far from the final goal also Giada Longhi (Army) of Roccaranieri (RI), the only blue in the race among the Junior Women. With a little gratifying 100/125 he returns to Italy with the 24th position in his first world championship. "We return from this world championship with two Olympic cards, conquered by Silvana Stanco in the Women's Olympic Pit and that of Riccardo Filippelli in the Men's Skeet, positively opening the qualification path for the Tokyo 2020 Games - commented the President Fitav Luciano Rossi, Vice President of the International Shooting Federation - From the point of view of the world championships, I cannot deny that we expected something more from the Seniors, but the positive result of the Juniors gives us hope for the future ”. RESULTS Male Skeet: 1st Vincent HANCOCK (USA) 125/125 - 59/60; 2nd Erik WATNDAL (NOR) 122/125 (+9) - 55/60; 3rd Riccardo FILIPPELLI (ITA) 123/125 (+6) - 46/50; 4th Emmanuel PETIT (FRA) 122/125 (+10) - 37/40; 5th Jacub TOMECEK (CZE) 124/125 - 27/30; 6th Ben LLEWELLIN (GBR) 123/125 (+5) - 17/20; 10th Gabriele ROSSETTI (ITA) 122/125 (+3); 52 ° Tammaro CASSANDRO (ITA) 118/125. Skeet Male Teams: 1st FRANCE (365/375; 2nd ITALY 363/375; 3rd RUSSIA 361/375 Skeet Junior Female: 1st Yufei (CHE9 CHN 117/125 (+3) - 53/60; 2nd Zhengyi SONG (CHN) 116 / 125 (+4) - 51/60; 3rd Austin Jewell SMITH (USA) 114/125 (+4) - 43/50; 24th Giada LONGHI (ITA) 100/125. SKEET'S BLUE TEAM Senior: Tammaro Cassandro ( Carabinieri) of Capua (CE); Riccardo Filippelli (Army) of Pistoia (PT); Gabriele Rossetti (Fiamme Oro) of Ponte Buggianese (PT). Junior Ladies: Giada Longhi (Army) of Roccaranieri (RI). Technician: Andrea Benelli
Source: Fitav