Five countries from the Americas book their places in shooting at Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Cuba, USA, El Salvador, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic qualify for Brazil via the Shooting Championship of the Americas in Mexico
The 10m air pistol event in Guadalajara as won by the United States (Getty Images/Gerardo Zavala)
Five more countries have confirmed their places in the shooting competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. After the world championships in September, when 27 nations booked their spots, the Shooting Championship of the Americas, held in Guadalajara, México, has confirmed 11 places for the first Olympic Games in South America (as confirmed by ISSF).
Cuba claimed the largest number of berths by winning five events, while the USA took three spots. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Ecuador won one place each.
In the women’s 10m air pistol event, Lilian Castro won El Salvador’s first spot at the Rio 2016 Games, scoring 196.3 points to finish ahead of Mexico’s Alejandra Zavala on 195.1.
“The final was intensely competitive,” Castro said. “I was fourth after the first round, only a few tenths behind the Mexican and I battled hard to finish well.”
In the women’s 25m pistol, Ecuador’s Andrea Pérez Pena overcame Venezuela’s Maribel Pineda 8-0 in the final duel.
“This is a unique feeling and one of great happiness because it’s the first time I’ve won a gold medal, and hearing my national anthem played at this level is incredible,” said Pena.
Eglys de la Cruz took the 10m rifle title in Guadalajara to win a Rio 2016 place for Cuba (Photo: Getty Images/Juan Mejia)
The Rio 2016 places won in Guadalajara are allocated to the respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the athletes. The NOCs will then decide which athletes will represent their countries in Brazil.
The next Rio 2016 qualifying event in shooting will be next year’s ISSF World Cup event in Acapulco, Mexico, between 28 February and 10 March.
Rio 2016 qualifcation places won in Guadalajara:
Men's 10m air rifle: Dempster Christenson (USA)
Men's 50m rifle prone: Reinier Estpinan (Cuba)
Men's 50m rifle 3 positions: Alexander Quintana (Cuba)
Men's 10m air pistol: Will Brown (USA)
Men's 50m pistol: Jorge Potrille (Cuba)
Men's trap: Eduardo Lorenzo (Dominican Republic)
Men's skeet: Vincent Hancock (USA)
Women's 10m air rifle: Eglys de la Cruz (Cuba)
Women's 50m rifle 3 poistions: Dianelys Perez (Cuba)
Women's 10m air pistol: Lilian Castro (El Salvador)
Women's 25 air pistol: Andrea Pérez Pena (Ecuador)
Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.
