ISSF Shooters of the year 2004 announced

Sparks

From ISSF News:

The Olympic Champions Lioubov Galkina and Mikhail Nestruev, both from Russia, were elected by the members of the International Association of Shooting Sport Journalists – the Special Commission for the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) – as the markswoman and marksman of the year 2004.

LIOUBOV GALKINA
The 31-year-old rifle shooter from Russia, Lioubov Galkina gave an outstanding performance at the Olympic Games in Athens. She seized the gold medal with the 50m rifle and set a new Olympic record with the 10m air rifle, thus returning home with an additional silver medal. Galkina opened the year 2004 with a victory at the world cup in Bangkok with the air rifle and a silver medal with the 50m rifle. She secured a second gold medal with the 50m rifle at the world cup in Milan and took one more silver medal at the world cup in Athens, before her great days at the Olympic Games in Athens. In Bangkok she ended her successful season by defending her title as the world cup final winner 2004 in 50m Rifle 3 positions Women event. Following her in second and third were Maria Grozdeva from Bulgaria and Du Li from China. The Shooting Sport Journalists credited the 25m Pistol Olympic Gold medal winner of Athens 2004, thus title defender of the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 and also Athens’ Olympic Bronze medallist in the 10m Air Pistol event, Maria Grozdeva, with the runner up position to Lioubov Galkina. Du Li, Olympic Gold medallist of the 10m Air Rifle Women event of Athens 2004 and who had concluded the year 2004 with the Gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Final in Bangkok, was given position three out of all active ISSF female athletes.

MIKHAIL NESTRUEV
Since the 35-year-old Russian, Mikhail Nestruev had become the Olympic Champion in 50m Pistol and silver medallist in the 10m Air Pistol match in Athens, the shooter-of-the-year award for 2004 could go to no other but him. Still, the decision who would become the male athlete of the year turned out to be very close as soon as it was clear Nestruevs’ follower would be Germany’s Ralf Schumann who accomplished his third Olympic Gold medal at Athens 2004 in his career. However, reflecting this year’s performances, the journalism commission decided to have Ralf Schumann landing on place two. Third place went to Matthew Emmons from the United States of America. The young American who had qualified for all Olympic rifle shooting events at Athens 2004 had won the Gold medal in the 50m Rifle Prone event. Despite his pitiful performance in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event where he had lost Gold because of missing his last final shot, Emmons deserved to be nominated on place three. Besides of the Olympic Games, Matthew Emmons had won a total of five medals this year. Two of out these were Gold at the 50m Rifle 3 Positions events at the ISSF World Cup Milan and the ISSF World Cup Final in Bangkok.

The winners of this election will be honoured in June at this year´s world cup in Munich, Germany, where the champions will be presented with a target, bearing the coat of arms, donated by the Swiss Firm "Polytronic" and the Swiss Shooting Sport Federation.

Voting results:

WOMEN:
1 GALKINA, Lioubov; RUS 60
2 GROZDEVA, Maria: BUL 46
3 DU, Li; CHN 25
4 KURKOVA, Katerina; CZE 14
5 GAO, E; CHN 12
6 OTRYAD, Gundegmaa; MGL 9
7 BALOGH, Suzanna; AUS 8
8 KOSTEVYCH, Olena; UKR 6

MEN:
1 NESTRUEV, Mikhail; RUS 51
2 SCHUMANN, Ralf; GER 42
3 EMMONS, Matthew; USA 33
4 ZHU, Qinan; CHN 29
5 ALMAKTOUM, Ahmed; UAE 26
6 KURZER, Manfred; GER 2