OLYMPIC SHOOTNG HOPEFULS
Tan Zongliang
The Jinan-born pistol man has made it his sole ambition to become an Olympic champion, be it in the 10m or 50m air pistol. The 36-year-old Chinese*, who now also coaches, began shooting when only 15 with Shandong Shooting Team, and recorded a ninth and tenth finish in Athens four years ago in the 10m and 50m air pistol respectively.
Tan made his international debut at the 1993 World Cup in Germany, and, seven years later, broke the world record in the 10m air pistol at the Asian Games in Malaysia. He won the 2002 (Lahti, Finland) and 2006 (Zagreb, Croatia) World Championships in 50m air pistol, and is in good form going into Beijing.
Thomas Tamas
American Army officer Tamas has never before competed at an Olympic Games, though the 43-year-old has been crowned World Champion in the 50m rifle prone. He earned that title 10 years ago in Barcelona, Spain, and won the gold in the Pan American Games in 2003 in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Tamas, who lives in Columbus, began shooting aged 13 with Fort Benning Junior Rifle Team, before joining the Army in 1986. He was named as US Shooting Male Athlete of the Year in 1999 and was second in the 50m rifle prone in the World Cup last year in Beijing.
Tino Mohaupt
For German 24-year-old Mohaupt, Beijing will be his first taste of the Olympics. The right-handed Suhl-born student, who also enjoys cycling, snowboarding, skiing and squash, began shooting ten years ago having joined SSVg Brigachtal. He originally began as a biathlete – shooting and skiing.
Coached by Claus Dieter Roth, Mohaupt won the World Cup in 10m air rifle in 2007 in Munich, and came third in the World Cup Final at Bangkok in the same year. He was also European Junior Champion in 2000, again in Munich.
Valentina Turisini
Trieste-born Turisini is hoping to go one better than four years ago when she won a silver medal in Athens. That was in the 50m rifle 3 x 20, and she also came twelfth in the 10m air rifle. The 38-year-old, who also enjoys reading in her spare time, first took up shooing in 1988.
Coached by Gaby Buehlmann, Turisini is in good touch going into Beijing. Last year in Granada, Spain, she came seventh in the 50m rifle 3 x 20.
Valérian Sauveplane
For Montpellier-born Sauveplane August’s Olympics in Beijing will be by far his most important competition so far. The 28-year old, who shoots right-handed, won a World Cup event in Fort Benning, America, three years ago. He also came third in a similar event last year in Sydney, Australia. Sauvenplane shoots for STC Millavoise in France.
Vebjørn Berg
Beijing will be Norwegian left-hander first taste of the Olympics. The Hamar-born Berg, who studies information technology, first began shooting in 1989. And the 28-year-old has impressed at World Cup events in recent years and has been tipped for the top.
In a World Cup event in 2006 he won in Guangzhou, China. The same year he came second in Resende, Brazil. Last year he recorded a third place in Bangkok, Thailand, and this year he achieved the same position in Rio De Janeiro, also Brazil.
Vincent Hancock
American skeet starlet Hancock shot his first clay at the age of five, and has made it is target to become an Olympic gold medallist in Beijing this summer. And don’t bet against the 19-year-old, who was born In Charlotte, Florida, but who now resides in Eatonton, Georgia.
Hancock, who is a member of Lake Oconee Shooting Club, Eatonton, made his international debut in 2005 at the Changwon ISSF World Cup, and shot the best score and won gold. That year Vincent started seven times in an international tournament, taking a medal each time, and becoming the first shooter ever to do so. Those results also earned him the 2005 International Sport Shooting Federation Shooter of the Year award.
Walter Lapeyre
A policeman by profession, Lapeyre first began shooting in 1986, when only 10. The 32-year-old was born in Pau in the south of France, and now lives in Bordeaux. He won European Championships in 2005 in the 10m air pistol, when the tournament was held in Tallinn, Estonia. A year later he came third in Moscow, Russia while last year he slipped to sixth in Deauville in his home country. This year, however, he came second in Winterthur in Switzerland.
Last year he also won a World Cup event in Bangkok, Thailand. Away from the shooting range the right-hander, coached by Zeljko Todorovic, is interested in photography, music, sport and viticulture (the study of grapes and wine).
Warren Potent
The Australian was born in Parramatta, and began shooting at the age of 17, having been introduced to the sport at the age of 17 by a school friend. The 46-year-old returned to the sport in 1997 after six years out. He put away his rifle in 1991 to concentrate on establishing his car detailing franchise. It was only when Sydney's bid for the Olympic Games was successful that he thought about a comeback.
Potent, who came 42nd in the 50m rifle prone in Athens four years ago, is interested in fishing, reading, music, ballroom dancing and tenpin bowling away from the range. In 2006 he came seventh in the World Championships, but he did win a World Cup in Beijing earlier in the year.
Wei Ning
China’s Wei is one of the favourites to take the skeet gold in Beijing. Four years ago she won the silver medal in Athens. The 26-year-old, born in Shandong, took up shooting ten years ago and is a member of the Shandong Shooting Club in Jinan, China.
Coached by Jiang Zexiang, Wei, who practices for eight hours a week, made her international debut at the World Cup for China in Italy in 2001. She became world champion in 2003 in Nicosia in Cyprus and won the 2005 World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Yin Wen
China’s Yin has impressed since competing internationally. The 25-year-old won the 2007 World Cup in Bangkok in the 3 x 20 and came second in Fort Benning, America, last year too.
Zhang Tian
Chinese right-hander Zhang Tian will be competing at his first Olympics in Beijing. The student, coached by Gao Yong Wu and Wang Yi Fu, took up shooting in 1995. And the 27-year-old* has had much success in the past three years. In 2005 he won World Cup events in the 10m air pistol and the 50m pistol at Milan, in Italy. Last year, in Bangkok, Thailand, he came second in the 10m air pistol.
Zhao Yinghui
Twenty-six-year-old student, Zhao Yinghui from Hebei, China, just missed out on the bronze medal in the women’s 10 air pistol at the Olympics in Athens four years’ ago – her first. Zhao, who enjoys collecting stamps when she is not shooting targets, is in good form going into the Beijing Games.
Last year she won a World Cup event in Bangkok, Thailand, in the 10m air pistol with a score of 502.6, and the year before she won the Guangzhou World Cup, China. In 2005 she was victorious in Changwon, Korea. Zhao began shooting in 1996, and made her international debut two years’ later, at the World Cup in Germany.
Zhu Qinan
The 25-year-old Chinese, won gold at the Athens Games four years’ ago in the 10m air rifle, is looking to defend his Olympic title in Beijing in August. And Zhu Qinan is in excellent form. The right-handed professional shooter took up the sport in 1999, because he was ‘curious’. Zhu achieved his first place in Greece with an impressive score of 702.7, and has followed up that win with first places at World Cup events in Bangkok, Thailand (2004), Milan, Italy and Fort Benning, America (both 2005), Milan again (2006), Bangkok and Fort Benning (2007) and Milan and Beijing this year.
Zuzana Štefeceková
Slovakian right-handed trap specialist Zuzana Štefeceková will be competing in her first Olympic Games when Beijing opens its doors to the world in August. But the 24-year-old from Nitra, has been in impressive form in World Cup events. She won at Lonato in the trap last year, and has also been successful at Maribor, Slovakia (2004) and Cairo, Egypt and Qingyuan, China (2006). Štefeceková speaks three languages – Kannada, German and English – and first tried the sport in 1996. The student currently shoots for SSSR MV SR Bratislava.
* Ages correct on August 8 – the start of the Olympics
Tan Zongliang
The Jinan-born pistol man has made it his sole ambition to become an Olympic champion, be it in the 10m or 50m air pistol. The 36-year-old Chinese*, who now also coaches, began shooting when only 15 with Shandong Shooting Team, and recorded a ninth and tenth finish in Athens four years ago in the 10m and 50m air pistol respectively.
Tan made his international debut at the 1993 World Cup in Germany, and, seven years later, broke the world record in the 10m air pistol at the Asian Games in Malaysia. He won the 2002 (Lahti, Finland) and 2006 (Zagreb, Croatia) World Championships in 50m air pistol, and is in good form going into Beijing.
Thomas Tamas
American Army officer Tamas has never before competed at an Olympic Games, though the 43-year-old has been crowned World Champion in the 50m rifle prone. He earned that title 10 years ago in Barcelona, Spain, and won the gold in the Pan American Games in 2003 in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Tamas, who lives in Columbus, began shooting aged 13 with Fort Benning Junior Rifle Team, before joining the Army in 1986. He was named as US Shooting Male Athlete of the Year in 1999 and was second in the 50m rifle prone in the World Cup last year in Beijing.
Tino Mohaupt
For German 24-year-old Mohaupt, Beijing will be his first taste of the Olympics. The right-handed Suhl-born student, who also enjoys cycling, snowboarding, skiing and squash, began shooting ten years ago having joined SSVg Brigachtal. He originally began as a biathlete – shooting and skiing.
Coached by Claus Dieter Roth, Mohaupt won the World Cup in 10m air rifle in 2007 in Munich, and came third in the World Cup Final at Bangkok in the same year. He was also European Junior Champion in 2000, again in Munich.
Valentina Turisini
Trieste-born Turisini is hoping to go one better than four years ago when she won a silver medal in Athens. That was in the 50m rifle 3 x 20, and she also came twelfth in the 10m air rifle. The 38-year-old, who also enjoys reading in her spare time, first took up shooing in 1988.
Coached by Gaby Buehlmann, Turisini is in good touch going into Beijing. Last year in Granada, Spain, she came seventh in the 50m rifle 3 x 20.
Valérian Sauveplane
For Montpellier-born Sauveplane August’s Olympics in Beijing will be by far his most important competition so far. The 28-year old, who shoots right-handed, won a World Cup event in Fort Benning, America, three years ago. He also came third in a similar event last year in Sydney, Australia. Sauvenplane shoots for STC Millavoise in France.
Vebjørn Berg
Beijing will be Norwegian left-hander first taste of the Olympics. The Hamar-born Berg, who studies information technology, first began shooting in 1989. And the 28-year-old has impressed at World Cup events in recent years and has been tipped for the top.
In a World Cup event in 2006 he won in Guangzhou, China. The same year he came second in Resende, Brazil. Last year he recorded a third place in Bangkok, Thailand, and this year he achieved the same position in Rio De Janeiro, also Brazil.
Vincent Hancock
American skeet starlet Hancock shot his first clay at the age of five, and has made it is target to become an Olympic gold medallist in Beijing this summer. And don’t bet against the 19-year-old, who was born In Charlotte, Florida, but who now resides in Eatonton, Georgia.
Hancock, who is a member of Lake Oconee Shooting Club, Eatonton, made his international debut in 2005 at the Changwon ISSF World Cup, and shot the best score and won gold. That year Vincent started seven times in an international tournament, taking a medal each time, and becoming the first shooter ever to do so. Those results also earned him the 2005 International Sport Shooting Federation Shooter of the Year award.
Walter Lapeyre
A policeman by profession, Lapeyre first began shooting in 1986, when only 10. The 32-year-old was born in Pau in the south of France, and now lives in Bordeaux. He won European Championships in 2005 in the 10m air pistol, when the tournament was held in Tallinn, Estonia. A year later he came third in Moscow, Russia while last year he slipped to sixth in Deauville in his home country. This year, however, he came second in Winterthur in Switzerland.
Last year he also won a World Cup event in Bangkok, Thailand. Away from the shooting range the right-hander, coached by Zeljko Todorovic, is interested in photography, music, sport and viticulture (the study of grapes and wine).
Warren Potent
The Australian was born in Parramatta, and began shooting at the age of 17, having been introduced to the sport at the age of 17 by a school friend. The 46-year-old returned to the sport in 1997 after six years out. He put away his rifle in 1991 to concentrate on establishing his car detailing franchise. It was only when Sydney's bid for the Olympic Games was successful that he thought about a comeback.
Potent, who came 42nd in the 50m rifle prone in Athens four years ago, is interested in fishing, reading, music, ballroom dancing and tenpin bowling away from the range. In 2006 he came seventh in the World Championships, but he did win a World Cup in Beijing earlier in the year.
Wei Ning
China’s Wei is one of the favourites to take the skeet gold in Beijing. Four years ago she won the silver medal in Athens. The 26-year-old, born in Shandong, took up shooting ten years ago and is a member of the Shandong Shooting Club in Jinan, China.
Coached by Jiang Zexiang, Wei, who practices for eight hours a week, made her international debut at the World Cup for China in Italy in 2001. She became world champion in 2003 in Nicosia in Cyprus and won the 2005 World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Yin Wen
China’s Yin has impressed since competing internationally. The 25-year-old won the 2007 World Cup in Bangkok in the 3 x 20 and came second in Fort Benning, America, last year too.
Zhang Tian
Chinese right-hander Zhang Tian will be competing at his first Olympics in Beijing. The student, coached by Gao Yong Wu and Wang Yi Fu, took up shooting in 1995. And the 27-year-old* has had much success in the past three years. In 2005 he won World Cup events in the 10m air pistol and the 50m pistol at Milan, in Italy. Last year, in Bangkok, Thailand, he came second in the 10m air pistol.
Zhao Yinghui
Twenty-six-year-old student, Zhao Yinghui from Hebei, China, just missed out on the bronze medal in the women’s 10 air pistol at the Olympics in Athens four years’ ago – her first. Zhao, who enjoys collecting stamps when she is not shooting targets, is in good form going into the Beijing Games.
Last year she won a World Cup event in Bangkok, Thailand, in the 10m air pistol with a score of 502.6, and the year before she won the Guangzhou World Cup, China. In 2005 she was victorious in Changwon, Korea. Zhao began shooting in 1996, and made her international debut two years’ later, at the World Cup in Germany.
Zhu Qinan
The 25-year-old Chinese, won gold at the Athens Games four years’ ago in the 10m air rifle, is looking to defend his Olympic title in Beijing in August. And Zhu Qinan is in excellent form. The right-handed professional shooter took up the sport in 1999, because he was ‘curious’. Zhu achieved his first place in Greece with an impressive score of 702.7, and has followed up that win with first places at World Cup events in Bangkok, Thailand (2004), Milan, Italy and Fort Benning, America (both 2005), Milan again (2006), Bangkok and Fort Benning (2007) and Milan and Beijing this year.
Zuzana Štefeceková
Slovakian right-handed trap specialist Zuzana Štefeceková will be competing in her first Olympic Games when Beijing opens its doors to the world in August. But the 24-year-old from Nitra, has been in impressive form in World Cup events. She won at Lonato in the trap last year, and has also been successful at Maribor, Slovakia (2004) and Cairo, Egypt and Qingyuan, China (2006). Štefeceková speaks three languages – Kannada, German and English – and first tried the sport in 1996. The student currently shoots for SSSR MV SR Bratislava.
* Ages correct on August 8 – the start of the Olympics
