Korea's Woongtae steals show in Qatar

11/28/2015 10:54:23 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) TOP: The top six pentathletes are seen after the end of the men’s competitions at Al Shaqab Arena in Doha yesterday. Fahad Saad Al Qahtani (third left) Al Shaqab Director and Group Executive Director of Qatar Foundation Mohammed Al Naimi (third right) Event Director Dr H C Klaus Schormann (fourth left) President of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) and other officials are also seen. RIGHT: Woongtae during the shooting competition. KAMUTTY VP

DOHA: Korean pentathlete Woongtae Jun yesterday produced a steady performance to win the Champion of Champions title at Al Shaqab Arena.

Maintaining a consistent run in all the five disciplines the 2014 Asian Beach Games gold medallist yesterday scored 1448 points to win the gold medal at the state-of-the-art arena.

Justinas Kinderis of Lithuania finished in second spot to bag the silver medal. Kinderis who won a bronze medal at 2010 World Modern Pentathlon Championships accumulated 1444 points.

Jung Jin-Hwa also of Korea ended a decent week at Al Shaqab Arena where he picked up the bronze medal.

Jin-Hwa managed a tally of 1443 points.

Jorge Inzunza of Hungary scored 1442 points to be placed fourth while Egypt’s Omar El Geziry (1436) completed the top five.

Max Esposito (1429) Riccardo De Luca (1411) Ismael Hernandez Uscanga (1407) Arthur Lnaigan-O Keefe (1383) and Denys Pavlyuk (1376) completed the top 10.

After receiving his gold medal the modest Junas was careful not to make too many bold predictions about his chances at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

He said: “Today my fencing and swimming were very good points but my riding was a little bit bad – but then my combined was very good so I am very happy.

“I am very young and I am looking forward to the Olympic Games. My hope for next season is to train hard and make sure that my riding can be as good as my fencing and swimming.”

For Kinderis ranked 39 such a solid performance left him with super-charged confidence as the 2016 Olympic Games looms on the horizon.

He said after receiving his silver medal: “This is the beginning of the season for me. Now I know I have to qualify for the Olympic Games and it’s a really important season. In the past I struggled sometimes for the motivation to compete and in pentathlon you need that motivation. It’s my work my life everything and I have to prove I can do this for myself.”

Dr Klaus Schormann President of UIPM reflected with satisfaction on proceedings after Qatar proved to be an exceptional host of the UIPM Champion of Champions for the second year.

He said: “As we have seen so many times the positions – 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th and 6th place – have changed so many times and there was drama today. For the spectators today they see what it means and how you have to concentrate right to the end with the shooting and never give up.

On Friday Germany’s Annika Schleu bagged the gold medal in the women’s competitions. Australia’s Chloe Esposito finished a creditable second while Lithuania’s Gintare Venckauskaite picked up the bronze medal. This week’s event was the first one of three annual editions to be staged at Al Shaqab Arena.

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