Rudrankksh Patil Clinches Gold In The ISSF President’s Cup 2022

The World Champion Rudrankksh Patil won the gold medal for his triumph of 10m air rifle, in the ISSF President’s Cup 2022.

In the men’s 10m air rifle competition at the prestigious season-ending International Shooting Sport Federation President’s Cup, reigning world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil took home gold. 

In the gold medal match in Cairo, Egypt, the Thane youth defeated well-known Italian adversary and world number one Danilo Solazzo 16-8. He is two weeks away from turning 19.

Earlier in October of this year, Rudranksh defeated the 19-year-old Italian in the World Championship final as well. 

As a result, the Indian won the Golden Target prize, which is granted to the sport’s top athlete of the year.

The Indian placed third out of 14 athletes and earned a spot in the top eight ranking round with a stellar score of 632.1. 

Then, he won his four-shooter ranking round with a score of 211.7, finishing far ahead of Istvan Peni of Hungary, the previous world champion, who came in second. 

They both earned spots in the semifinals. The other athletes left behind by the duo included Austria’s Martin Strempfl, who had won qualification, and Croatia’s legendary Petar Gorsa.

Rudranksh’s next opponent was Slovakia’s Patrik Jany, a finalist at the Tokyo Olympics, whom he defeated 16-10 to set up the title match with Danilo.

In the final, Rudrankksh continued his incredible shooting form and gave Danilo no chance at all, routinely hitting high 10s to finish the game expertly. 

In a show of expert rifle shooting, he had as many as two scores of 10.9, with a 10.0 being his lowest score.

The 2022 ISSF President’s Cup will feature competitors from 42 countries, as well as spots for the host nation and the top 12 athletes in each category this year.

Anjum Moudgil and Swapnil Kusale, two further Indians, are in the running for gold on Saturday.