Australian pistol shooter Lalita Yauhleuskaya (VIC) has produced a sensational final to win the bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol at the World Cup Final in Poland overnight.

Yauhleuskaya entered the ten-shot final in seventh place but scored an impressive 100.9, the highest score of all eight finalists, to claim the bronze medal.

The World Cup Final serves as the end of season event to which only the best performed athletes across the course of the year are invited to compete.

Yauhleuskaya was Australia’s sole participant at the pistol and rifle World Cup Final, and the Victorian recorded a score of 383 from a possible 400 in her qualifying rounds, leaving her six points behind leader Olena Kostevych (UKR) and three behind the bronze medal position.

In the final, Yauhleuskaya had only two scores beneath 10, while a run of 10.3, 10.5 and 10.6 on her seventh, eighth and ninth pellets moved her into bronze.

Yauhleuskaya’s overall score of 483.9 left her just under five points shy of Kostevych, while China’s Qi Sun won the silver medal.

Yauhleuskaya said the result was a good way to end the season.

“I was really happy with my final today and it is something that I have been trying to work on,” Yauhleuskaya said. “You have the best of the best competing at the World Cup Final so it is good to know I have won the bronze against world class competition.

“The next 12 month period is really important for me now and I am looking forward to building up towards the London Olympics.”

Michael Diamond (QLD) meanwhile was the only Australian to qualify for the shotgun World Cup Final, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates commencing on September 30.

Australian International Shooting Ltd.