Shooting World Cup marks latest stop on road to Rio

More than 100 athletes from nearly 30 countries are hoping to impress to gain selection to their national teams for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. 11 Mar 2016
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Veronika Vadovicova concentrates on her next shot.

Slovakia's world and European champion Veronika Vadovicova.

ⒸIPC
By IPC

More than 100 athletes from nearly 30 countries will compete in Bangkok, Thailand, from Tuesday (15 March), aiming to test their form at the penultimate IPC Shooting World Cup ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

With less than six months to go until the Paralympics, shooters will be honing their performances in the hope of being selected to their national teams.

Live results will be available at the IPC Shooting's website courtesy of SIUS, IPC Shooting’s official results and target systems provider.

Coming off the back of a gold medal performance at the opening World Cup in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January, Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova headlines the R2 (women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1).

The multiple world and European medallist will also warm-up for Rio 2016 in several other events, including R3 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1) and R8 (women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1).

In R3, Vadovicova will face the UAE’s World Championships bronze medallist Abdulla Sultan Alaryani.

The Emirati himself had an incredible start to his season at home, winning two golds in R7 (men’s 50m rifle three positions SH1) and R1 (men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1).

Germany’s Norbert Gau, the European silver medallist, will challenge Alaryani in R1 alongside Ukrainian bronze medallist Andrii Doroshenko.

In R7 another German European Championships podium finisher, Josef Neumaier, will try and halt Alaryani’s charge.

Alaryani is also preparing to defend his Paralympic title in R6 (mixed 50m rifle prone SH1) in 2016, but Israel’s Doron Shaziri could provide an upset as the World Championships bronze medallist.

Rounding off the competition in the rifle events is Ukraine’s Vasyl Kovalchuk in R5 (mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2) and R4 (mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2). The Worlds and European medallist makes his 2016 debut in Bangkok.

In the pistol events, South Korean world champion Heejung Lee is the headliner in P1 (men’s 10m air pistol SH1). The Polish duo of European gold medallist Filip Rodzik and fellow podium finisher Slawomir Okoniewski will compete for the first time this year.

Ukrainian newcomer Oleksii Denysiuk is also competing after a stunning debut year in 2015 which saw him break the P1 world record.

Okoniewski highlights the field in P4 (mixed 50m pistol SH1) as the European silver medallist.

Hungary’s leading hope Krisztina David has made the journey to Thailand hoping to build on her first place finish from the opening World Cup in P2 (women’s 10m air pistol SH1).

Turkey’s European champion Korhan Yamac will feature in P3 (mixed 25m pistol SH1).

Two pistol shooters on the road to their first Paralympic Games, South Africa’s von Zeuner Kohne and Mongolia’s Ganbaatar Zandraa, will feature in P1, P3, P4 as well as P5 (mixed 10m air pistol standard SH1), which is a non-Paralympic event.

Competition at the IPC Shooting World Cup in Bangkok gets underway on Tuesday with R3, R4 and P3.