2008 World International Championships Results/Photos
An All-Star cast assembled at Delaware, Ohio’s Black Wing Shooting Center July 11-13th for the NSSA’s 2008 World International Skeet Championships. Shooters from Barbados and Canada joined America’s top shooters at the NSSA’s Annual Celebration of International Skeet. This shoot would also prove to be the final competition for our U.S. Olympic Skeet Team [Sean McLellan and Vincent Hanckock] before their departure to the 2008 Summer Games in China.
International Skeet is the Olympic version of our favorite game. It is shot on a standard skeet field, but the targets are thrown further and faster. The target’s release is not instant—but may be delayed from 0-3 seconds after the shooter’s call. While awaiting the emergence of the target, the shooter MUST remain in the ready position with the gun at their hip, mounting the gun to the shoulder only after the target has been thrown. The shooting sequence is more challenging as well, with doubles shot at all stations– and two pair at station 4!
Mild temperatures with scattered showers and variable winds added to the challenging targets each day. While there were no serious rain delays, the gusting winds made for interesting targets. Only 5 perfect round 25’s were recorded Saturday and 8 were posted on Sunday.
In the 100 target Preliminary Event, U.S. Olympian Vince Hancock {GA] finished first to take the Gold Medal. B.J Blanchard [TX] and Sean McLelland [TX] tied for Silver, with B.J. winning the 50 target tie breaker shot the following day. Sean McLelland reverted to AA1st, Hal Hare [OH] took A1st, Chris Haver [MI] captured B1st honors, Butch Richards [OH] won D1st, and Mehrdad Sharifi [OH] won E1st.
The Main Event was shot over two days, 125 targets shot Saturday and 75 targets plus the 25 target finals shot on Sunday. [In International Skeet, after 200 targets the top six shooters participate in an additional ‘final’ round of 25 targets to determine the Open Championship honors.] In addition to the normal Final 6 Event, we conducted another ‘Final 6 Event’ for the top 6 Junior shooters.
Medalists in the Main Event’s Class wars were: Fritz Altmann [CAN] AA1st, Eben Wildman [OH] A1st, Hal Hare [OH] A2nd, Graham Kirby [BAR] B1st, Jack Grehan [OH] B2nd, Stephen Walsh [CO] C1st, Mark Douglas [OH] D1st, Mehrdad Sharifi [OH] E1st, and David Brinkman [OH] E2nd.
Concurrent winners were led by Brandie Neal [IN] Lady Champ, Fritz Altmann [CAN] SRCH, Hal Hare [OH] SRRU, and Collegiate Sean McClellan [TX], B.J. Blanchard [TX], and Nick Kimbrough [GA].
The Junior World International Title was won by Chris Haver [MI] with a 183+23 for a 207, Runner-Up was B.J. Blanchard [TX] with a 184+21 for a 205. Third thru Sixth place went to: Eben Wildman, Nick Kimbrough, Glenn Carl, and Sam Sharifi.
The Open World International Skeet Title was decided in the Final 6 Shoot-Off as well, with Olympian Vincent Hancock taking the World Open Title with a 195+25 for 220×225! Second Place Silver went to USAMU’s Shawn Dulohery with a 193+25 for a 218×225. Third place Bronze went to fellow Olympian Sean McLelland with a 188+24 for a 212×225. Fourth thru Sixth Places went to B.J. Blanchard, Chris Haver, and Brandie Neal.
Many thanks to event sponsors B&P USA, Galazan’s Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company, and Assurex Global Insurance. Their support certainly helped make this a great shoot. Also kudos go to the staff of the Black Wing Shooting Center who made that extra effort to make us all feel welcome.