Sheng Wins Gold in Mens 10m Air Rifle Final at ISSF World Cup

Hangzhou, July 22: In a thrilling start to the ISSF World Cup, China’s Olympic champion Sheng Lihao clinched the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air rifle final. His compatriot Zhang Changhong secured the silver medal.

On Wednesday, Sheng, who has won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, topped the qualification round with a score of 637.5 points and continued his impressive performance in the final. The 21-year-old athlete established an early lead, facing little competition. He finished with a score of 253.9 points, marking his 12th ISSF World Cup title. This victory also marked Sheng’s first World Cup gold medal on home soil.

Zhang, the champion of the men’s 50-meter rifle three-position event at the Tokyo Olympics, arrived in Hangzhou after winning gold in the previous World Cup. After barely qualifying among the eight finalists, he maintained his composure and earned the silver medal with a score of 252.4 points. Meanwhile, Sweden’s Viktor Lindgren edged out Sihan by just 0.2 points to win the bronze medal, preventing China from sweeping the podium.

Earlier on Wednesday, China’s reigning world champions Yao Qianxun and Hu Kai set a world record in both the qualification and final rounds of the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event. They began the day by establishing a new qualification record of 591 points and achieved a final score of 488.4 points, surpassing the previous world record of 487.7 points set by India’s Palak and Mukesh Nelavalli in April.

The duo of Yao and Hu’s remarkable performance secured them the gold medal in the mixed team event. Their teammates, Shen Yiyao and Bu Shuaihang, claimed the silver medal with a score of 485.7 points. South Korea’s Kim Bo-mi and Hong Su-hyeon finished in third place, trailing by six points, while individual neutral athletes Angelina Ostashova and Anton Aristarkhov took fourth place.

The Hangzhou World Cup will continue until July 28, with competitions for the women’s 50-meter rifle three-position and men’s and women’s skeet events scheduled for Thursday.