Katrin Quooss (centre) of Germany, gold medal winner in the Shotgun Trap event at the 49th CISM World Military Shooting Championship poses for a picture along with Wand Jinglin of China and Wand Yajun of China, bronze and silver medal winners.
A focussed Katrin Quooss of Germany kept her nerve in crucial stages of the Shotgun Trap final to claim the first gold of the 49th CISM World Military Shooting Championship.
Yesterday at the Losail shooting Range, the 30-year-old from Liebenthal brushed off the challenge of Wand Jinglin of China in the gold medal shoot-out to clinch the top place.
Jinglin lost the final shoot-out 15-12 and had to settle for the silver medal on the second day of the nine-day championship, which is contested by over 700 athletes from 50 countries.
China had more success on the medal front as Wand Yajun won the bronze medal after winning a shoot-out with compatriot Wang Xiaojing 13-10.
“It is a very nice feeling to win the first gold of the championship. Happy to open my account and also that of my contingent at the championship,” said Quoss, who retained the women’s Shotgun Trap title she won last year at the World Military Shooting Championship in South Korea. “It was very warm, very interesting and I had so much fun in the final,” added the German.
Quooss said she kept herself focused in the final which helped her to win the gold medal.
“All the girls were in top form and shot very well. It was tough competition. I concentrated hard and that what made the difference in the end result,” she added.
Silver medallist Jinglin was happy to win silver but sounded a bit disappointed for narrowly missing the gold.
“I am happy to win silver I was aiming for the gold, but I narrowly missed the gold as I was little bit disrupted by referee’s call during the final round,” Wang, who was part of the China’s trap team which won gold in the team event World Military Games.
In the last edition of the championship, Jinglin won bronze in the trap event.
“It was a very tough outing today. We have some very good shooters in the semifinals and I am happy to see three Chinese among top four,” she added.
The German contingent also opened their medals account with Quooss winning gold, as Shotgun Trap was the first medal event decided yesterday.
Quooss was delighted by the facilities on offer at the Losail Shooting Range and will love to return for another shooting competition in Qatar. “This is the first time I am talking part in an event in Qatar. The facilities here are excellent and I would love to return and compete here again. I was such fun shooting here and love shooting here,” said Quooss, while speaking to reporters.
For Quooss, it was her third gold at a major championship having won gold two years back at the 51st ISSF World Championship in Granada, Spain and last year’s gold at the Military Shooting Championship in South Korea.
