Russia’s Sergey Kamenskiy and Anastasiia Galashina won the 10 metres air rifle mixed team event as action concluded today at the ISSF World Cup in Munich ©ISSF

Russia’s Sergey Kamenskiy and Anastasiia Galashina won the 10 metres air rifle mixed team title as action concluded today at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Munich.

The duo collected their first gold medal in the event after scoring 499.6 points at the German city’s Olympian Schiessanlage, beating China’s first team of Wu Mingyang and Song Buhan by a margin of 1.7.

China’s second team of Wang Luyao and Yu Haonan finished third with 433.1 points.

"It’s my first time in a mixed team event final, and therefore my first medal in this event," Kamenskiy, the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist in the men's 50m rifle three positions event, said.

"It’s real fun."

Up-and-coming athlete Galashina has already set two junior world records in 2016 and 2017, triumphed at two editions of the ISSF Junior World Cup and claimed a European Championship junior crown. 

"I am lucky to have a teammate like Anastasiia," Kamenskiy said.

"She shot great, especially in the last part of the match.

"She was unstoppable."

Ukraine’s Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk won the 10m air pistol mixed team event ©ISSF
Ukraine’s Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk won the 10m air pistol mixed team event ©ISSF

In the 10m air pistol mixed team event, Ukraine’s Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk secured their country’s third gold medal of the World Cup stage by winning a tight duel with Serbia’s Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec.

With only five shots left to fire in the final match, Arunović and Mikec held a 2.4-point advantage over Kostevych and Omelchuk, the gold medallists in the two individual air pistol events.

But Kostevych and Omelchuk first reduced the gap to 2.2 points and then overtook Arunović and Mikec with a fantastic 61.9-point series, securing victory with 481.0.

They finished 0.2 points better off than their Serbian opponents, who won their second consecutive silver medal in the event.

China’s Pu Qifeng and Xiong Yaxuan finished in third place, pocketing the bronze medal with 416.5 points.

Both Pu and Xiong won their second medal of the World Cup with the former having taken men’s 10m air pistol bronze and the latter having claimed women’s 25m pistol gold.

The mixed team events were recently added to the programme for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

China finished top of the overall medal standings in Munich with three golds, five silvers and four bronze.

Ukraine ranked second with three golds and one bronze, while Russia came third with one gold and two silvers.

A total of 12 world records were set or equalled in all. 

The 2018 ISSF World Cup series is due to continue in Siggiewi in Malta next month.

The fifth and second-to-last stage of the series is scheduled to be held at the Ta' Kandja Shooting Complex from June 5 to 15.