However, by the time Moiseev finished in 12th place, home morale had been unexpectedly boosted by another home athlete –  teenager Ilya Shugarov (pictured top), the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics silver medallist, who had begun the final discipline with a 13-seconds lead and never looked in any danger of being caught.

In what was his first World Cup on home soil, a triumphant Shugarov proved in sufficient control to hold his arms aloft as he left his shooting bay for the last time.

The 19-year-old becomes the third Russian to win a World Cup event in this year's series of which Rostov represented the fourth and final round.

The World Cup Final will be held at Chengdu in China next month.

Shugarov had set the tone with a spellbinding performance in the opening fencing event in which he earned 28 victories, many of them against far more experienced opponents.

"I feel great, he said afterwards.

"This is really amazing.

"I had no nerves going into the combined [run/shoot]."


As Shugarov considered his achievement he credited his excellent Youth Olympics performance with helping him to make the step up to senior success.

It gave me belief that I can compete at the senior level," he said.

"The big difference here is the standard – it is more difficult, but because I am young I don't think about it."

Stanislau Zhurauliou of Belarus finished second to claim his first ever World Cup medal, but never troubled the victor.

Moiseev (pictured above) had set off on the run/shoot to a huge roar from the partisan crowd, but slipped back down the order as Christopher Patte, who started the combined discipline 47 seconds off the pace, fought his way through the pack to claim bronze.

It was the Frenchman's first medal since 2009 and he said: "This is my best result for some time.

"With 47 seconds [to make up], I didn't think about the others, only my race."

He added: "Maybe this can help me get to the Olympics Games.

"[But] I can hardly talk about that because it makes me feel so emotional.

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