«Disability is not a world apart, but a part of the world". This is the motto that animated the days of the premiere ParaTrap World Cup, reserved for athletes with physical disabilities. A project started in 2007, passed through experimental races, Italian championships and international grand prix, up to this great event. A milestone in a long journey that will lead to the first World Championship in 2018, again in Lonato, and at Paris Paralympics 2024 e Los Angeles 2028. Divided into three categories (SG-U, SG-S and SG-L), more than 100 athletes, representing 16 nations, took part in the cup competition and in the eighth international para- trap.
After the 125 qualifying targets, the first of the scheduled finals, reserved for athletes of the SG-L category, or those who have suffered damage to the lower limbs, opened with a splendid Italian double. The Tuscans Saverio Cuciti (42) and Alessandro Spagnoli (40) put gold and silver medals around their necks in front of the Finnish Vesa Jarvinen (30). Following were the British George Glover (26), the Spaniard Ignacio O. Sanz (21) and the reigning Italian champion Giorgio Marrozzini (16). In the second final, that of wheelchair athletes, the reigning Italian champion won another medal, this time bronze. Oreste Lai (26). The shooter from Cagliari, long in the lead in the first 100 targets, reached the final in second position. The appointment with the podium was however preceded by the English Matthew Godwin (34) and by an amazing Abdolreza Tavasolikah. And it was the Iranian shooter, with 40 centers, who put his seal in the final for his category. Four, finally, were the Italians to battle in the third final of the SG-U category, reserved for athletes with disabilities in the upper limbs. Only one, however, managed to hit a step on the podium. It was, in fact, Francis Nespeca to contend with Antonio Brinas Moras to win gold. The Spaniard did not hesitate during the final targets, shattering 38, while the blue stopped at 35. The Dane Kim P. Nyby closed the trio, with a final score of 28. Following the three Italians arrived in the sextet of the best: Emilio Poli (23); Elio Spadoni (19) and Fernando Bulgheroni (11).
The excellent performances of the shooters dressed in the tricolor also earned the team gold in the SG-L category (Spagnoli, Marrozzini and Lanza) and the silver in the SG-S one (Lai, Fedrigucci, Menia), where the triumphs were the British colleagues. The blue booty was therefore of six medals: two golds, three silvers and a bronze. At the same time as the World Cup, the eighth international grand prix was also held, open to shooters not summoned by their respective national teams. The best in the class, in this competition, were: the Slovak Vladimir Kopacik (105 + 32) for the SG-U category, the Italian Raphael Talamo (102 + 38) for the SG-L category and the Russian Alexander Sakharnov (95 + 36) for the sitting category.
The first para-trap world cup, a source of pride and full of emotions, has thus ended. It was a dream come true, a goal centered and, at the same time, a starting point for increasingly demanding challenges. But above all it was a huge first step to make the beautiful pitch really open and accessible to all.
First Para-trap World Cup: the statements:
WANDA JEWELL, head of the para-trap sport development committee: «The real winner of the first Para Trap World Cup was sport. I thank and congratulate all the participants and organizers of this monumental event, a fundamental step for the development of this sport ».
LUCIAN RED, president of FITAV: «It was a historic moment for which we have worked for a long time. A great event that saw Italy, Lombardy, Brescia and Lonato as protagonists. We are sure that we have done a good job and we are convinced, as good Italians, that when we do our best we can amaze the world. Now we need to continue along this route, believe in it even more and always do our best ».
EMANUELA BONOMI, number two of FITAV: «Doing better than that was impossible. I am really touched, it was all fantastic. After so much effort we entered the world of the greats. The road is now downhill: we look forward to future World Cups, the World Championship and the Paralympics ».
BENEDICT BARBERINI, Coach of the national team: «I'm really happy with a result that I didn't expect either. I was aware of the strength of the guys, but I also knew that every race is different from the other and that you can't do the math before the end. Along with the individual awards, there are also team awards, where we earned two important medals. There is a lot of emotion, I am happy for my boys: for me it is a great satisfaction, but they deserve it, since they have dedicated themselves with seriousness. In fact, there were many moments in which they suffered. We cannot bask but we hope they will continue like this ».
IVAN CARELLA, president of Trap Concaverde: «I have taken part in many competitions, both as organizer and as spectator, but I have never been as excited as in these days. These guys are truly a strength and an example of courage, humility and healthy competition. They have shown that the real barriers to break down are not only the architectural ones, but the mental ones. C as the organizing committee we did our best and we hope to have been up to the task assigned to us. I congratulate the Italian Shooting Federation and the Italian Paralympic Committee for all the work done in these ten years. I thank all the participants and shooting directors. I thank the UNITALSI volunteers, constant presence, precious and indispensable for the success of the event. I thank all the companies who believed in this new and innovative project, in its official debut. Sport needs positive messages like this and the greatest satisfaction was that of being able to demonstrate that skeet shooting is truly a sport for everyone ».
RESULTS World Shooting Para Sport World Cup:
SG-Lower: 1) Saverio CUCITI (ITA) 114/125 - 42/50; 2) Alessandro SPAGNOLI (ITA) 109 / 125-40 / 50; 3) Vesa JARVINEN (FIN) 118 / 125- 30/40; 6) Giorgio MARROZZINI (ITA) 114/125; 8) Massimo LANZA (ITA) 106/125.
SG-Lower Team: 1st ITALY 329/375; ENGLAND 310. SG-Sitting: 1) Abdolreza TAVASOLIKHAH (IRA) 97/125 - 40/50; 2) Matthew GOODWIN (GBR) 104/125 - 34/50; 3) Oreste LAI (ITA) 102/125 - 26/40; 11) Davide FEDRIGUCCI (ITA) 93/125; 13) Fabrizio MENIA (ITA) 89/125; 21) Bruno BUSTI 75/125. .
SG Sitting Team:! ^ ENGLAND 287/375; 2nd ITALY 284; 3 ^ SPAIN 251 SG-Upper: 1) Antonio BRINAS MORA MELITON (ESP) 109/125 - 38/50; 2) Francesco NESPECA (ITA) 101/125 - 35/50; 3) Kim Poul NYBY (DEN) 99/125 - 28/40; 4) Emilio POLI (ITA) 91/125 - 23/35; 5) Elio SPADONI (ITA) 92/125 - 19/30; 6) Fernando BULGHERONI (ITA) 97/125 - 11/25.