Snjezana Pejcic broke a world record and claimed gold at the ISSF World Cup in Rio ©ISSF

Croatia’s Snježana Pejčić continued to underline her status as favourite for women’s 50 metres three positions gold medal at Rio 2016 after breaking the world record at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup at the Olympic Shooting Centre in Rio de Janeiro.

The 33-year-old began the competition in fine style after producing the world record qualifying score of 594 points in qualification, advancing to the final as the woman to beat.

After being narrowly behind Germany’s Barbara Engleder following the kneeling stage of the final, Pejcic took over at the top of the leaderboard with impressive shooting in the prone.

Pejčić then pulled away from the remaining finalists in the standing elimination stage, ending with a winning tally of 458.8 points.

Engleder ended 3.2 points behind the 2015 ISSF Women’s Shooter of the Year, who received her medal ISSF secretary general Franz Schreiber.

Snježana Pejčić ISSF Women’s Shooter of the Year in 2015, will be favourite for the Olympic gold medal in the 50m three positions event at Rio 2016 after winning the test event there ©ISSF
Snježana Pejčić ISSF Women’s Shooter of the Year in 2015, will be favourite for the Olympic gold medal in the 50m three positions event at Rio 2016 after winning the test event there ©ISSF

“The Olympics are still far away,” said Pejcic, the bronze medallist at Beijing 2008. 

“I need to focus on the next two World Cup stages in Munich and Baku.

“The Games are a completely different story.”

Mongolia’s Nandinzaya Gankhuyag, participating in her first ever World Cup final, completed the podium positions after ending on a score of 443.3 points.

Petra Zublasing narrowly missed out on claiming the bronze medal,the Italian finishing on 435.7 points.

The World Cup, which is acting as a Rio 2016 test event, is due to continue tomorrow with the women’s skeet and men’s 25m rapid fire pistol finals.