By Yuri Kovalev
In the qualification round for his favourite event, Sergey Martynov set a two point gap between himself and his nearest rival, the USA’s Eric Uptagrafft. This is his 21st award since 1989 (from world championships, World Cup finals and World Cup rounds — 45 events in total). It is no wonder that the official website of the International Shooting Union names Martynov, 43, as one of the most successful rifle marksmen. His triumph in Changwon keeps Martynov in the top position worldwide.
Konstantin Lukashik, 35, was also a big success. In small-calibre hand gun shooting, he was placed 5th. The 1992 Games gold medallist needed just 0.8 points to earn another ticket to the Olympics. Fortunately, in shooting with a pneumatic rifle, his 9th position was enough to qualify him for the 2012 London Games; most finalists have already had their quotas. This will be his sixth Games. Of course, licenses to the Olympics are not personalised. To date, the Belarusian national Olympic squad boasts three tickets to London: Sergey Martynov and Victoria Chaika have the other two.
