Anna Korakaki achieved the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event at the Shooting World Cup taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Despite finishing fourth in the qualifying round with a score of 581/600, the Greek athlete led the competition from the beginning of the final and maintained her lead until the end.
Korakaki will continue to compete in the Azerbaijani capital until the end of the competition.
H απονομή του χρυσός και ο Εθνικος Υμνος για τη νίκη της Αννας Κορακάκη στο Παγκόσμιο Κύπελλο του Μπακού στα 10 μ. στο αεροβόλο πιστόλι 🇬🇷👏💪#TeamHellas#Korakaki pic.twitter.com/nMl0JddclJ
— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) May 10, 2023
Anna Korakaki wins gold in Baku
Korakaki and Olena Kostevych from Ukraine emerged as the final contenders as the competition progressed.
Despite stiff competition posed by the other finalists, Korakaki managed to maintain her leading position and eventually won the final with a total score of 221.9, narrowly beating Kostevych who scored 220.1.
To mark her victory, Korakaki took the highest position on the podium and was given the gold medal and a bouquet of flowers as the Greek national anthem played. She was joined on the podium by Kostevych in second place and Indian athlete Rhythm Sangwan in the third position.
Following her win on Wednesday, Koakaki is scheduled to participate in the 25m pistol event on Friday, May 12, and also team up with her brother Dionysis in the mixed team 10m event on Thursday, May 11.
🥇H Αννα Κορακάκη συνεχίζει την συλλογή μεταλλίων!
📍Η Oλυμπιονίκης της σκοποβολής κατέκτησε το χρυσό μετάλλιο στα 10 μέτρα αεροβόλου πιστολιού στο Παγκόσμιο Κύπελλο του Μπακού.
👏 Συγχαρητήρια @KorakakiAnna #ΤeamHellas 🇬🇷#Shooting#Korakaki#gold#RoadtoParis2024 pic.twitter.com/6ep8OC3jjJ— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) May 10, 2023
Career
The 27-year-old Greek athlete from the city of Drama in northeastern Greece has already made a strong impression in the competitive world of Olympic shooting.
Korakaki’s most recent achievement in the sport was in March this year when she triumphed during an intense 10m air pistol competition to win gold at the European Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia.
The competition was hotly contested between Korakaki and French shooter Camille Jedrzejewski. However, the Greek athlete was able to take the lead and secure victory.
Korakaki’s strong performance at the European Championships ensured her place in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Korakaki can also boast of a long list of other prior wins. Her most impressive achievement was at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where she won the gold medal in the 25m pistol shot event and a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol shooting event.
That year, she was the first Greek woman during her maiden appearance at an Olympics – then at the age of 20 – to become a multi-Olympic medalist for Greece at the same Olympiad.
Some of Korakaki’s other notable achievements include gold medals in the 2018 Mediterranean Games, 2018 World Shooting Championships, 2019 European Games, and 2022 Mediterranean Games, among others.
On March 12, 2020, the accomplished Greek Olympic shooter became the first woman to be the leading Olympic athlete torchbearer of an Olympic torch relay.
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