Kim Jangmi and Nicco Campriani are the 2012 ISSF shooters of the year

Korea's Kim Jangmi and Italy's Niccolo "Nicco" Campriani won the 2012 ISSF Shooter of the Year title.

They were voted as the two best shooters of the year by a panel including the members of the Athletes Committee, of the Coaches Advisory Board and by the international sport press.

Kim Jangmi, 20, form Incheon, Korea, secured the title with 83 points, finishing in first with five points of advantage on the five-time Olympic medallist Kim Rhode of USA. This year, Kim won the 25m Pistol Women Olympic Gold medal in London, establishing a new Olympic Record go 792.4 points. During the 2012 season, she also won the 2012 ISSF World Cup FInal in Bangkok, as well as the pre-Olympic World Cup Stage in London, last April. where she set a new Final World Record of 796.9 points. Kim, who had finished in the spotlights by winning the Youth Olympic Games back in 2010, is also a skilled Air Pistol shooter, as she proved at the 2012 Asian Championships in Doha, where she pocketed the 10m Air Rifle Women Gold medal.

Nicco Campriani, a 1987's engineer from Italy, secured the Shooter of the Year title with 108 points, with 20 points of lead over the Belarusian Olympic Champion Martynov. Campriani reached outstanding results during the 2012 Season. Starting off with an individual Silver medal at the 2012 European Championships, he led then the ISSF Wolrd Cup Series, winning three Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medals in London, Milan and Munich. The London Games were the coronation of such great season. There, Campriani secured Gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, and Silver in the 10m Air Rifle Men event, establishing two Olympic records in the first event, and equalling the Olympic record in the latter.

"This is the cherry on top of the cake. It's a great news, at the end of my best shooting season." Campriani said today.

"I owe it to the all the people who have been helping and supporting me in lead-up to the Games!"

"I am honored to be on the "podium" with such great shooters like Martynov - a true legend - and Jin - the best pistol shooter of the world. I am the first Italian Rifle or Pistol shooter to win such award, after Roberto Di Donna (who won it twice in 1994 and 1996), and that's a great achievement for me and my team."

"I did not expect it, but 2012 has been definitely my best season. I had finished in second at the 2010 Shooter of the Year election, so I knew I had a chance to win, after securing two medals at the Games." Campriani concluded.

The two 2012 ISSF Shooters of the Year will be awarded next year, during the 2012 ISSF World Cup Stage in Changwon, Korea.