Chinese veteran Tan Zongliang defended his World Championship title, winning the men's free pistol event at the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships on Tuesday.

Tan was ranked No. 9 in the world going into this event, but after shooting a 570 in qualifying, he walked into the final with a two point lead that he wouldn't waste. Tan finished with a 667.1 total score.

When asked if his repeat as World Champion makes him unbeatable in this event, Tan responded simply, "My performance today was perfect, but not unbeatable. Shooting eights, nines and 10's in a free pistol final is normal," he added.

Vigilio Fait, of Italy, took second, shooting a 662.8 total score. Fait actually found himself in fourth place headed into the final, qualifying with a 565. But, after shooting a final score of 97.8, Fait had worked his way onto the medal stand.

"I had a bit of a rough start," Fait said. "But I did my part and it turned out how it should have. It was a great battle. This medal feels like a win for me. It had been so many years since I've been on the medal stand that this is the best victory possible."

Fait also won the quota place for his country, making his performance just that much sweeter.

Russia's Vladimir Isakov finished third with a 662.7. Isokov went into the final in second place with a 568, but struggled thereafter, shooting a 94.7.

Thailand's Jakkrit Panichpatikum moved from sixth place with a 563, into fourth, shooting a high final score of 98.9. Jong Su Kim, of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, fell from third place to fifth after the final. Kim had a total score of 660.2 after all was said and done.

Jong Oh Jin, of Korea, finished in sixth with a 657.0. Whereas France's Walter Lapeyre started out very strong in the qualifying, on track to make an easy 570, until his sixth and last series produced an 87.

Lapeyre ended up in seventh overall with a 654.9 total score, while Belarus' Kanstantsin Lukashyk took eighth with a 654.4. Russia, Ukraine and the Republic of Korea secured quota places in this event.

(ISSF July 26, 2006)