XVI. World Shoot championship in practical shooting is now part of history. The competitions ended last weekend and brought to the Czech team several outstanding achievements. In short, our shooters in Bali managed very well they role of favourites and that in tough competition among thousand competitors from thirty five countries of the world.
Such a significant success which our shooters achieved in the last World Shoot in Ecuador, enhanced by exceptional performance in the last year European Championship in France, positioned the Czech representation, the backbone of which is formed by the CZ Shooting Team, into the role of favourites. We have to say that CZ shooters managed to cope with it very well, despite the fact that in several cases they had to bear up against many odds.
The fact that final result could be affected also by other circumstances than those related to sport scores could be told for example by Irena Liehne. The contractual shooter of Česká zbrojovka went through this whole and demanding competition with exceptional performance and it seemed that she will be certainly standing on the winners’ pedestal. However, then came across a disputable measurement of the ammunition and all efforts and hopes were in vain. We can also mention respectable feats of Martin Kameníček in prestigious Open Division. Despite his young age he is for years ranked among the absolute top shooters of the world and he regularly reaches the top spots, but the attack for medal positions came again to him short of expectations. Just below the winners pedestal positioned Petr Znamenáček and he returns home with not so much coveted 4th spot. It seemed that he would win at least bronze medal in the Standard Division, but the fortune was not too favourable towards him.
But now better to go to more sunny medals positions. The one who was really no disappointment was Adam Tyc. Acting World Champion competing in Bali at prestigious Production Division virtually swept away his rivals and is still the holder of this really acclaimed title. The famous achievements of this young man make of him a legend in his own lifetime thus making for him a distinctive record next to other world legends of this prestigious sport and especially thanks to the results he achieved the Czech National Team got the silver medal among the teams competing in the Production Division.
Just below the top, so at the second position we have seen also Zdeněk Heneš from CZ. He was one of those, who in the course of Modified Division competition had often to deal with not so fair approach of some of his competitors, but also even referees and with this taken into consideration his successes is even more distinctive.
Another silver from Bali is brought home by Miroslav Kameníček. He shot with such achievement in the Open Division, Senior Category. When mentioning the Senior Category, then it is necessary to say that Czech shooters clearly dominated also in the Revolver Division. This Category has been won by Zdeněk Němeček and his gold was backed from the silver position by Lumír Šafránek.
At the same Division, then Open, but among Women we have seen a marvellous fight conducted by Kateřina Šustrová. She won bronze medal. Medals of the same metal are brought home from Bali also by the team of our shooters competing in the Standard Division.
Besides the Czech shooters from the CZ Shooting Team we have to say that at this World Championship also the foreign shooters of our Team were very successful. We have seen a great performance displayed by these shooters at this Championship both in their Divisions and national sporting costumes, for example by Slovak Marián Vyšný, Angus Hobdell of the USA, or Serbian Ljubiša Momčilovič and others.
It was also very nice to find that not only the Czech shooters represented so perfectly our country in Indonesia, but that more and more competitors are using handguns made by Česká zbrojovka. The course of this Championship in demanding conditions of tropical climate again highlighted that pistols made by arms company located in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic function with unusual reliability and interest in them in foreign countries is constantly growing.