Winner, Germany's Peter Florian (centre), silver medallist Li Yuehong of China, and bronze medallist Anish Bhanwala of India pose for a photo after the Men's 25 meter rapid-fire pistol final.
Doha, Qatar: German sharpshooter Peter Florian and China’s Sixuan Feng clinched the men’s 25 meter rapid-fire pistol and women’s 25 meter pistol titles respectively at the ISSF World Cup Finals at the Lusail Shooting Complex, yesterday.
The prestigious event, hosted by the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association with the support of the Qatar Olympic Committee, has attracted over 190 elite shooters from 42 countries, showcasing intense competition across various disciplines.
In the spotlight on the fifth day of the event was the men’s 25 meter rapid-fire pistol final, where the 23-year-old German sensation Florian demonstrated exceptional precision, securing the title with an impressive score of 35. He missed only five targets during the fiercely contested final.
Expressing his surprise at the title win, Florian remarked on the unexpected victory in the post-competition statements.
“I did not expect to win the title in the World Cup finals. After a two-month break following the last world championship, I resumed training just a week before the event. I am very happy with what I achieved here,” a jubilant Florian said.
Following closely was Chinese two-time Olympic bronze winner and two-time World Champion Li Yuehong who scored 33 points. India’s 21-year-old Anish Bhanwala, a two-time world champion, secured the third position with 27 points.
In the women’s event, Feng showed dominance throughout the final round. The reigning world champion, Feng shot a remarkable 37, missing just three targets. Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp secured second place with 31 points, while Feng’s compatriot Nan Zhao completed the podium after securing 29 points.
Earlier, in the 50 meter rifle three positions, Frenchman Lucas Bernard Dennis Kryzs and Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad secured the men’s and women’s titles respectively.
Kryzs topped the table with a total score of 465.2 points, while China’s Yukun Liu and Norway’s Jon-Hermann Hegg followed up with scores of 465 and 451.1 respectively.
Kruzs highlighted the intense competition, stating: “Today’s competitions were characterised by strength, competitiveness, and excitement. I am very happy to achieve my goal and win the world title.”
Duestad amassed a total of 464.8 points and shared the podium with her compatriot Jenny Stene who shot 460.6 points, and Germany’s Lisa Mueller who scored 450.2 points to finish second and third respectively.
“After a strong competition with the world’s elite shooters, I was able to win the title, which is the best way to conclude the current season, which was strong and full of many diverse participations, “Duestad said after her latest gold-winning performance.
