The last chance for marksmen to test their skills in top-level competition ahead of the Olympics will be at the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup held from April 17 to 24 in London.

Viet Nam will send eight competitors, two in the rifle and two in the trap categories, as well as four in the pistol events, where the country is seen as standing the best chance of success.

Among the marksmen, Hoang Xuan Vinh and Le Thi Hoang Ngoc, have already qualified for the London Games.

The Vietnamese team will face about 800 rivals from 97 nations and territories, and many of the competitors are world, continental and Olympic champions.

Vinh and his teammate Tran Quoc Cuong will compete in the men's 10m air pistol event which has 79 shooters competing against each other.

Vinh, who has registered a record of 582 points, and Cuong with 580 points are a little behind than their world leading rivals. Andrija Zlatic of Serbia has shot down 590 points, Leonid Ekimov of Russia and Lee Daemyung of South Korea had 589 points and Ukrainian Oleg Omelchuk pocketed 588.

The two will also test their skills in the 50m pistol event.

Ha Minh Thanh will compete in the men's 25m rapid pistol event, where he will face 37 other marksmen. His record of 583 points places him in the group who are only several points away from leaders Russian Alexei Klimov and Martin Strnad from the Czech Republic with 589 points each and Viatcheslav Kalioujnyi of Russia and Jorge Llames of Spain on 588 each.

Female shooter Ngoc will take part in her strongest event, the 25m sport pistol, which is also the event she is competing in at the Olympics along with the 10m air pistol event.

In the first event, Ngoc is among 68 international rivals and three from Southeast Asia. With her record of 579 points, Ngoc is in the middle of the ranking table. Title favourites include Zorana Arunovic of Serbia, Sonia Franquet of Spain and Lenka Mararuskova of the Czech Republic, who all have 588 points. 

Source: VNS