Alaryani finishes year with another world record at Bangkok World Cup

The last World Shooting Para Sport competition of 2017 wrapped up on Saturday (11 November) in Bangkok, Thailand, and it was United Arab Emirates’ Abdulla Sultan Alaryani finishing with a good feeling.

The Rio 2016 Paralympic silver medallist followed up his world record performance from Friday with another on Saturday, this time in the R6 (mixed 50m rifle prone SH1). Alaryani kept it tight until the end, shooting 10.5 and 10.3 that just gave him a narrow edge over Australia’s Anton Zappelli entering the final round. Alaryani then closed out the elimination stage with a final world record score of 249.0. Zappelli (248.4) took second, and the USA’s John Joss III (227.0) came in third.

The victory was Alaryani’s second of the competition, adding onto his gold in the R7 (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1) as well as bronze in the R1 (men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1).

The R5 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2) was an even tighter contest.

South Korea’s Rio 2016 silver medallist Geunsoo Kim (253.3) ultimately pulled through by slim margins ahead of Slovenia’s Francek Gorazd Tirsek (253.0). Despite trailing all the way through the elimination stage, Tirsek stayed within reach of Kim. But Kim’s final shots of 10.3 and 10.7 were just enough to secure his second podium finish in Bangkok, making up for the silver he took earlier in the R9 (mixed 50m rifle prone SH2). Thailand’s Anuson Chaichamnan (231.0) gave the home spectators joy with third place.

Italy’s Marco Pusinich (215.4) spoiled another South Korean win by taking the P4 (mixed 50m pistol SH1) gold ahead of Chul Park (212.1). His teammate Nadiia Fario (192.6) completed the top-three.

Complete results from the 2017 Bangkok World Shooting Para Sport World Cup are available online.

It was the last competition of the year, giving athletes an opportunity to earn valuable Minimum Qualification Standard (MQS) points toward the 2018 World Championships in Cheongju, South Korea.