Former Olympic champion Chiara Cainero won the women’s skeet title at the European Shotgun Championship in Lonato del Garda ©ESC

Former Olympic champion Chiara Cainero won the women’s skeet title at the European Shotgun Championship in Lonato del Garda as the Italian triumphed on home soil ahead of Cyprus’ Konstantia Nikolaou.

Cainero, who topped the podium at Beijing 2008, beat Nikolaou 15-12 in the final to earn the gold medal. 

She also posted a winning total of 15 in the semi-finals, three more than Nikolaou who won a three-way shoot-off at the expense of Russia’s Nadezda Konovalova and Germany’s Vanessa Hauff.

A shoot-off was also required in the bronze medal match with Hauff defeating Konovalova 5-3 after the pair finished level at 13-13.

Chiara Cainero was joined on the podium by silver medallist Konstantia Nikolaou (left) of Cyprus and bronze medallist Vanessa Hauff (right) of Germany ©ESC
Chiara Cainero was joined on the podium by silver medallist Konstantia Nikolaou (left) of Cyprus and bronze medallist Vanessa Hauff (right) of Germany ©ESC

In the first round of men’s skeet qualification, Spain’s Juan Jose Aramburu was one of eight shooters to register a total of 50.

Germany’s Ralf Buchheim also achieved the feat along with Italian trio Riccardo Filippelli, Luigi Lodde and Gabriele Rossetti, Czech duo Tomas Nydrle and Jan Sychra, and Finland’s Timo Laitinen.

The men’s skeet medallists are due to be decided tomorrow with the semi-finals and final following the second round of qualification.

Italy is hosting the Championship for a 10th time with 42 nations and 445 athletes participating.