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India's Sonam Uttam Maskar, a double silver medallist at the Cairo World Cup earlier this year, secured another silver medal, this time at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on the first day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun 2024. It marked her first medal at the World Cup Final level and India's first medal of the competition. China's Paris Olympic gold medallist Huang Yuting won gold with a world and junior world record score of 254.5, edging Sonam by 1.6 points. France's Oceanne Muller took bronze. China dominated three of the four finals on the day, while France's Camille Jedrzejewski, Paris silver medallist, won the women's 10m air pistol event.
A lively and enthusiastic crowd at the Karni Singh Range celebrated Sonam Maskar's performance in the women's 10m air rifle final. After shooting a solid 632.1 in qualification to finish fourth, she mounted an impressive comeback in the finals to secure a well-deserved silver behind the dominant Chinese team. Notably, her 19th and 20th shots--one a 10.7 and the other a perfect 10.9--both under pressure, were pivotal in her performance. India's second finalist, Tilottama Sen (qualification score: 628.9, 7th), finished sixth with a score of 167.7. The event also saw Germany's Anna Janssen set a new world record in qualification with a remarkable score of 636.9. China's golden streak was interrupted by France's Camille Jedrzejewski, who won the women's 10m air pistol final with a score of 240.8, a commanding 3.4 points ahead of Liu Heng Yu from Chinese Taipei. Egypt's Hala Elgohari secured her first ISSF medal, finishing third with a score of 215.7. India's Rhythm Sangwan placed fourth, narrowly missing out on bronze by 0.5 points, while compatriot Surbhi Rao finished fifth with 176.6. China's reigning Olympic champions also claimed gold in the men's 10m air rifle and air pistol events. Sheng Lihao won the men's air rifle with a score of 251.4, defeating Hungary's Istvan Peni by just 0.1 points. It was Peni's seventh medal in India. Czechia's Jiri Privratsky finished third. India's Arjun Babuta, after leading until the 16th shot, slipped to fifth place following subpar 17th and 18th shots, while Divyansh Panwar finished eighth. In the men's 10m air pistol final, Paris champion Xie Yu claimed gold with a score of 244.6. Germany's Robin Walter won silver, while Italy's Federico Maldini secured bronze. India's Arjun Cheema was the first to be eliminated, finishing eighth. At the Shotgun range, where day one qualifications commenced, Ganemat Sekhon led the Indian contingent in the women's skeet with a score of 74, one shot behind leader Samantha Simonton (75) from the USA. Maheshwari Chauhan followed with a score of 69. In the men's skeet, Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Maheshwari's Paris Olympics mixed team partner, shot 73 to place third in the 10-man field. Veteran shooter Mairaj Khan was in seventh place with a score of 71. In the men's trap, Vivaan Kapoor shot 73 to secure second place, trailing Australian James Willet on countback. Bhowneesh Mendiratta was fourth with 72 hits after three rounds. In the women's trap, Shreyasi Singh shot 66 to rank ninth, while Rajeshwari Kumari scored 58 to finish 11th. Italy's Silvana Maria Stanco, Paris Olympics silver medallist, led the field with a perfect score of 75. Day two will feature four finals, including the men's and women's 50m rifle 3 positions. The women's 25m pistol and men's 25m rapid-fire pistol finals are scheduled for day three. (ANI)
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