ALBANIAN SHOOTERS IN INTERNATIONAL ARENA!

 

Albanian Shooters in International Arena

While men in this sport have not won any medals (we are talking about World, European or Olympic one), Albanian women on the contrary have made our flag fly several times in the international arena, in European and World Championships. It must be said that in this sport, despite the dominance of Soviet athletes such as champions Nina Stoliarova, Zinaida Simonian or even Galina Korzun, Albanian girls achieved deserved success even by defeating the Soviets. 

European Championships
Thus, in the 25m pistol race, Elizabeta Karabolli will be the first Albanian shooter to bring our country the bronze medal at the European Championship in Rome in the 6th edition of this race in 1977. A year later in Hämeenlinna Finland for the same race (Pistol 25m) will be again Elizabeta of the "Partizani Sports Club" who will win a silver medal, and the second European medal for Albania. 

 In 1979 in Frankfurt, in the same race, 25m Pistol, Elizabeta Karabolli reached the maximum, winning the European title and the gold medal. Karabolli defeated the Soviet champion Galina Korzun, who had won the title two years earlier in Rome (1977) when our shooter E. Karabolli had taken 3rd place, and at the same time the grand champion, the other Soviet athlete Zinaida Simonian. latter she was twice declared European champion in the 10m Air Pistol race in the 5th edition, 1973 in Linz (Austria) and in that of 1976 in Paris (France). This is enough to show the strength and merit of our great shooter Elizabeta Karabolli.
These were the three European medals won in a row in its three editions by the only athlete, our champion Karabolli.
It will be the year 2007, for another athlete from Albania to win the gold medal in Granada, Spain, exactly Lindita Kodra will be the one who will honor our country with the second title, after that of Elizabeta, in the 25m Pitoleta race.

Meanwhile in the 50m Rifle race (Prone) Ermira Dingu will win the gold medal at the 1980 European Championships in Madrid (Spain) coming out first with 594 points and defeating the twice European champion in this race in the 1975 editions (Sofie) and 1977 (Rome), East German Marlies Helpig and Austrian Huberta Mueller. Albania so far has this balance in the European Shooting Championships: 5- in total (3 gold; 1 silver; 1 bronze)

 

 

World Championships.
In the World Championships, history is something different, anyway ....
In the edition of v. 1986 held in Suhl (East Germany), the Albanian team consisting of Diana Mata; Emanuela Delilaj; and Shyti won the bronze medal by taking third place in the 25m standard pistol race and accumulating 1745 points, only three less than the second place of the French women Guepin; Manchon; Serra Tosio.
Names like Elizabeta Karabolli, Ermira Dingu, Diana Mata or Lindita Kodra have already been written as undisputed champions and winners with full merit of medals in the international arena.

 

 

 

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Sports Vision December 2020
Official results were obtained from the International Shooting Federation ISSF.org.
By: Pjerin B.