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GERMANY STARTS STRONG, SILVER AND BRONZE FOR ITALY

 

Medals and results of the first day of the 30th Muzzle Loading World Championship in Valeggio sul Mincio (VR). Germany did very well with 9 golds, followed by Switzerland with three and Austria with two. Italy “consoles itself” with the silver of Sergio Magnani in the Vetterli Repliche at 50 meters and the bronze of Lucca Torelli in the Colt at 25 meters

 

28/08/2024 – A scorching atmosphere for the 30th World Championship of the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Confederation-MLAIC at the Valeggio Sport Shooting Range, in the province of Verona. Not only because of the temperature, constantly above 30 °C (and peaks near 40) with a bit of a respite only after 5 pm, but also because now the competitions are getting serious. The medal table already rewards Germany that wins 5 individual golds and 4 team golds, while Switzerland wins two individual golds and one team gold and Austria one individual gold and one team gold.

And our Sergio Magnani wins a precious silver medal in the Vetterli Originals specialty (50 meters standing) with a score of 98, one point away from the gold won by the young German Kilian Fichtl (99), third the other German Peter Käpernick also with 98. "I'm very happy, it's the right result". Magnani is 53 years old, he is registered with the Tsn of Turin, he lives in Annecy in France and shoots in Geneva, Switzerland, having spent his time as a soldier in the Armée. “CNDA’s president Delvò says that I am the most northern Italian in the team… I like the muzzle-loading environment. There is friendship, a passion for history, a bit of technique”. He is indeed passionate about history, shoots only with original weapons and owes his silver medal yesterday to a federal rifle from 1842 that weighs 10 kilos. “I shoot about 1,800 shots a year at the shooting range of the oldest Swiss shooting club that will celebrate its 550th anniversary in 2024.

In the Vetterli Replicas, the German Alfred Bailer won by 4 mm over the Dutchman Twan Steur, both at 99, with third place going to the Austrian Andreas Högl (98). The Pforzheim, which is the ranking that brings together Vetterli Originals and Replicas, sees Germany (289), ahead of France (288) and Slovakia (287). In the Vetterli Youth special, a competition for shooters up to 21 years old, victory went to Dutch Twan Steur (97), again ahead of German Fichtl (97) and Frenchman Céleste Fleury Bouge (96).

Italy also did well in the Colt specialty, dedicated to original revolvers: third was Italian Lucca Torelli, with 95, after two careful checks of the targets by the international MLAIC jury. But it was necessary to check two shots further from the center to establish the victory of Frenchman Cristophe Batista over Slovakian Stefan Ernst, both with a score of 96. In the team classification, called Adams, Slovakia (281), overtook Germany (277) and France (274).

In the Tanzutsu Repliche specialty, smoothbore pistol with matchlock, the Austrian Herbert Wagner imposes his law, beating with 94 once again the Slovakian Ernst (92) and the Spanish Jesùs Arribas Garcìa (90), eleventh Darwin Filippin (87). The German Ralf Strobel (85) takes the Tanzutsu Replicas specialty, ahead of the Frenchman Marco Planson (82) and the American Robert Peloquin (80). For the corresponding team classification, called Kunitomo, Austria wins with 267, ahead of Slovakia (263) and the Czech Republic (256). Italy is sixth with 249, with the team formed by Stefano Caruso (79), Filippin and Nicola Pizzinato (83). The winner of the Miquelet Replica, flintlock rifles, is the Swiss Hans Peter Rüfenacht with a score of 96, ahead of the Norwegian Sondre Nordhagen and the Finnish Timo Aulis Näätänen Lihavainen both at 93. Here the best of the Italians is the veteran gunsmith from Varese Giovanni Fuserio, twentieth with 75. In the corresponding team classification, called Halikko, Germany is first (267), ahead of Finland (250) and Norway (248).

In the Maximilian Replica, flintlock rifles with a spherical ball at 100 meters, six Germans in the first six places with Michael Sturm (94) ahead of Leonhard Brader (93), and again Käpernick (92) for the medals. In the specific team classification, called Lucca, victory with a very large gap of Germany at 276, over Spain at 248 and Austria at 243. In the Maximilian specialty with original rifles, Swiss victory of Herbert Grad (89) over the German Alfred Bailer (86) and the British Jon Harper Smith (86); Graziano Cattaneo twelfth with 81. In the relative team classification, called Wedgnock, Switzerland at 257, over Germany at 248 and Great Britain at 243.

In the specialties reserved for women, Walkyrie Replicas victory of the German Tanja Eichert (96), over the French Véronique Tissier (95) and the other German Ute Gretz (95); the Walkyrie Originali was won by the British Helen Harper Smith (94), over the Spanish Nunci Rodriguez SanJosé (92) and the Brazilian Luciane Cortezao (89). The team ranking that includes the two specialties, called Amazons, saw the victory of the Germans at 285 over the French at 284 and the Polish at 261.

The first specialty of the clay, Manton Originals, is dominated by the Spaniard Francisco Badener Fuertes who with 43 (21 + 22) beats the American Sam Sellaro by 6 points (17 + 21) and the other American George Dawkins by 9 (16 + 18). Unfortunately, no Italians are competing.

Contrary to expectations, the awards ceremonies will take place starting this evening.

Today the clay shooting specialties Manton Replicas, at 25 meters Kuchenreuter (also youth under 21 years), at 50 meters Miquelet Originals and the two categoriesManton Replicas, at 25 meters Kuchenreuter (also youth under 21 years), at 50 meters Miquelet Originals and the two Donald Malson categories, finally Minié Replicas at 100 meters.

The World Championship continues until August 31st from 9 to 13 and from 15 to 18 with some variations for all 27 MLAIC shooting specialties at 25, 50 and 100 meters and the 4 clay pigeon shooting specialties. Closing banquet on Saturday 31 August at 9pm.

The World Cup will be broadcast on Plus+tv, Sky channel 814, from 15 September,The World Cup is broadcast on Plus+tv, Sky channel 814, from September 15, in three special episodes with 4 reruns.

The technical sponsors of the event are: Conarmi, FAIR, EOS, Nosparo, Farmacare-Nonoise, Davide Pedersoli, Tanfoglio, Uberti.

 

For information: www.cnda.it, info@cnda.it.

Press office: Massimo Vallini, massimo_vallini@yahoo.it, +39.338.87.92.386.

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