Ukrainian wins the Gold Medal

[AkMike]

RANCHO MIRAGE — Ranked as the 11th-best modern pentathlete in the world, Ukraine's Pavlo Tymoshchenko surpassed the top 10 to capture the gold in the first World Cup of the season.

He also set a world record in the laser shoot with 15 perfect shots in 43 seconds to complete four days of competition in the Coachella Valley, the site of the first World Cup on American soil in 12 years. The event will return to Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs through 2014 and be the qualifier for next year's Olympic Games in London.
Tymoshchenko started in third place in the last event of Sunday's men's final event, the combined 3,000-meter run and laser pistol shooting. He broke away from a crowded start that featured the first 26 athletes among the 36 finalists being within a minute's start of each other. Michal Michalik of the Czech Republic was the leader after the first three events — fencing, swimming and equestrian ride — but it quickly turned to a two-man race between Tymoshchenko and World No. 3 Hungarian Adam Marosi, who was the 2009 and 2010 World Cup Finals winner.
“It is great to have such a good start to the season and to win my first World Cup here is very special,” Tymoshchenko said. “It was a very fast run and a fantastic finish.”
The men's event was much closer than Saturday's women's final, where gold medalist Amelie Caze of France held a 50-second lead to begin the final combined event.
Tymoshchenko was cruising over the 3,000-meter course, which featured three stops to shoot for five points in the laser shoot. Marosi took the silver and Mikalai Hynanovski of Belarus, ranked 174 in the world, edged leader Michalik to take bronze.
Tymoshchenko, 24, began the five-event day with fencing at Xavier College Prep, finishing in second overall behind Michalik. He slipped back in the 200-meter swim at Palm Springs Swim Center, taking 17th overall, cruised through the equestrian jump at Equestrian Centers International to vault into the top three. He was sixth overall in the ride on his horse, Diva







Ukrainian leaps top 10 to win Cup | The Desert Sun | MyDesert.com

[sjoyce]

Congratulations to the winners. What a wonderful, interesting place to hold the event.

[dinja]

Congratulations! It is always a great thing when someone win a medal for his country. Athletes are the best ambasadors of their countries...