Two medals for Ireland at World Shotgun Championships in Cyprus

Murphy wins individual silver and Ireland win team bronze in Olympic Trap event at World Shotgun Championships in Cyprus

Philip Murphy of Carlow won the silver medal and the Irish team of Murphy, Derek Burnett and David Malone won the team bronze medal while competing at the Men's Olympic Trap Final at the ISSF World Shotgun Championships in Nicosia, Cyprus today.

Murphy achieved a personal best with a score of 145 out of 150 traps to secure second place behind double Olympic and World Champion Michael Diamond of Australia. Diamond was flawless in the final 25  scoring a world record 148 (of 150 traps) to win gold. Germany's Karsten Bindrich (another former world champion) took the bronze on a score of 144. 140 competitors took part.

Earlier in the day the Irish team took the team bronze medal at the event behind Kuwait and Italy, with Murphy scoring 123 out of 125 (a personal best which saw him enter the individual final 25 shots), with Derek Burnett and David Malone both scoring 118. That gave them a combined total of 359, enough to place 3rd in a field of 36 nations.

The same trio won the team Gold in 2001 while Murphy's silver is the best ever individual performance by an Irish shooter at the World Championships. The one quota spot for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games available at the Championships was secured by Michael Diamond although Murphy's performance leaves him well placed to secure a wild card for the Games.   

Kevin Kilty, Performance Director for the Irish Clay Pigeon Association, commented on the results "Obviously we are thrilled with the result. We know we have the talent to compete at this level but two medals and an outstanding individual performance from Philip is a great return for the week. The one disappointment was Philip missing out a quota spot for Beijing. Qualifiaction is really tough but Derek is already qualified, one of the 30 quota spots now determined, and we are hopeful that Philip will secure one of the few remaining wild cards available for the Olympic Games". 

Scores can be found here at www.issf.tv with regular updates available on www.icpsa.ie