Kimberly Rhode wins 27th ISSF World Cup title in Hangzhou
American shooting legend Kimberly Rhode claimed her 27th ISSF World Cup title after defeating teammate Samantha Simonton in the women's skeet final in Hangzhou. Britain's Seonaid McIntosh won the women's 50m rifle three positions gold, while Qatar's Rashid Saleh Al-Athba triumphed in men's skeet.
Hangzhou: Three-time Olympic champion Kimberly Rhode claimed her 27th World Cup title as the United States secured a one-two finish in the women’s skeet event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou on Thursday.
The 47-year-old American led throughout the final, defeating teammate Samantha Simonton 34-32 to win the gold and claim her 41st World Cup medal.
“I guess [this medal is] the same as all the others. It’s not something we keep track of,” said Rhode, a six-time Olympic medalist. “But it’s amazing to be out there with so many talented athletes, and I think each year we see that bar rising and each of us pushing one another, so it’s been an incredible season and I’m just super excited to be here.”
China’s Che Yufei took bronze with 28 hits, earning the 27-year-old her second World Cup medal, reports Xinhua.
“I’m definitely very happy. My opponents were very strong, and I think I performed quite well today. I’m fairly satisfied with my performance, but I still need to close the gap with them and strive to surpass them,” said the two-time world junior champion.
China’s Jiang Yiting, who topped qualification with 123 hits and won bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finished fifth after losing a tiebreak, while compatriot Jiang Chaoyu placed seventh. Later in the day, Jiang’s Paris 2024 mixed team partner Lyu Jianlin, with whom she won Olympic bronze, claimed the men’s skeet bronze medal with 29 hits.
In the women’s 50-meter rifle three positions, Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh edged China’s Han Jiayu by just 0.3 points in a gripping final.
Han led after both the kneeling and prone stages, but McIntosh produced an impressive performance in the standing stage to finish with 362.6 points, narrowly ahead of Han’s 362.3. Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad took bronze with 347.6 points, while China’s Zhang Liyuan finished fourth.
The men’s skeet title went to Qatar’s Rashid Saleh Al-Athba, who produced a near-flawless display. After hitting his first 34 targets, Al-Athba missed only his penultimate shot to finish with 35 hits, equaling the world record and defeating Spain’s Jose Maria Mielgo Moneo by one target. Peru’s Nicolas Pacheco Espinosa finished fourth behind Lyu.
The Hangzhou World Cup runs through July 28, with the women’s 10-meter air pistol and men’s 25-meter rapid fire pistol medals to be decided on Friday.
