Russia's Leybo wins men's double trap at Olymic test event

London, April 24 (IANS) Russian shooter Leybo beat Italy's Francesco D'Aniello and Daniele Di Spigno to win the men's double trap gold at the World Cup and test event for the Olympic Games here.

Leybo, the 2006 Junior World Champion, shot consistently on a cold and rainy day. He made it to the final with 142 hits after the qualification, tied to the 2008 Olympic silver medallist and two-time world champion D'Aniello. Shooting head to head right to the last pair, the two of them finished tied with an overall score of 188 hits.

In the following shoot-off, a sudden death tie-breaker to decide the gold medal, Leybo outscored his Italian opponent four to three hits, climbing up on the highest step of the podium to receive his first ISSF World Cup ever. D'Aniello was left in second with the silver.

"It hasn't been easy," the Russian shooter said. "The match has been so tied, when he missed a target, I missed a target, we have been shooting neck and neck through the whole match."

"I am happy I made it at the end. Winning a medal on the Olympic ground feels great," he added.

Leybo had never finished on an ISSF podium in an open event. In 2008, right before the Olympic Games, he had made it the final at the pre-Olympic World Cup in Beijing, ending then up in fifth place.

Italy also celebrated a second medal as the four-time world champion Spigno secured the bronze at the shoot-off, edging out the reigning Olympic champion Walton Eller of the United States.