Shooter Jitu Rai clinches silver at ISSF World Cup, boosts Rio prep

Baku, Azerbaijan: ‘Pistol King’ Jitu Rai pipped three-time Olympic champion Jongoh Jin of Korea to clinch silver medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Baku on Saturday, signalling his intentions ahead of the Rio Olympics.

Rai shot 199.5 in the finals to bag the silver medal in men’s 10m air pistol.

Brazilian Felipe Almeida Wu won the gold medal with a total of 200.0, while Jongoh, who topped the qualification, totalled 178.8 in the elimination round to settle for bronze.

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Rai qualified sixth after he shot 580 with 22xs. The eventual gold medal winner qualified in seventh position.

It was Rai’s sixth World Cup medal and second this year after winning one in Bangkok.

Rai is seen as one of India’s biggest medal prospects at the upcoming Rio Games.

Former world number one Heena Sidhu qualified for the finals of women’s 25m pistol after finishing fifth in the qualification stage with 582.

The World Cup in Baku is the last shooting tournament before the Olympics in August.