DOHA - Competition continued for the sixth consecutive day at the ISSF World Shooting Championships Doha 2026, which also serve as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The championships are being held at the Lusail Shooting Complex and run until November 13, bringing together around 1,100 male and female shooters from 91 countries, including some of the world's leading Olympic and world champions.

The day's competitions saw European and Chinese shooters dominate the finals of the 25m Standard Pistol events for men and women, in both individual and team categories, as well as the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.

In the men's 25m Standard Pistol individual event, the final witnessed a closely contested battle, with narrow margins separating the leading shooters. France's Kevin Chapon claimed the gold medal with 578 points, followed by Ukraine's Pavlo Korostylov, who took silver with 576 points. Latvia's Lauris Strautmanis finished third with 574 points to secure bronze.

In the men's team event, Latvia claimed gold with a combined score of 1,703 points. Korea took silver with 1,700 points, while Ukraine secured bronze with 1,697 points.

In the women's individual 25m Standard Pistol event, China's Xiao Jia Ruixuan claimed gold with 569 points. Hungary's Veronika Major took silver with 568 points, while China's Zhang Yu secured bronze with 567 points.

China also made history in the women's team 25m Standard Pistol event, setting a new world record of 1,698 points to claim the gold medal. India finished second with 1,682 points to take silver, while Hungary secured bronze with 1,676 points.

In the women's team 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, Norway claimed gold with a total of 1,764 points. Switzerland finished second with 1,761 points to take silver, while the Czech Republic secured bronze with 1,759 points.

The championships will resume tomorrow with the return of Olympic qualification quota places on offer in the women's individual 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. The programme will also feature the women's individual 25m Pistol competition, alongside the start of training sessions for the men's and women's Trap events, in which shooters will compete over 50 targets.

Jassim Shaheen Al Sulaiti, Secretary-General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association and Championship Director, praised the outstanding performances and record-breaking achievements delivered by shooters across the various events at the championships, which conclude next Friday.

Speaking today, Al Sulaiti said the competition had been intense from the outset, with some of the world's leading shooters battling for Olympic qualification places at Los Angeles 2028. This high level of competition has been reflected in the results recorded at the Lusail Shooting Complex, where margins between competitors have become increasingly narrow.

He noted that the championships had provided shooters with an ideal environment to showcase their technical abilities and perform at their best. Al Sulaiti added that the event's organizational success would not have been possible without the close coordination among all working committees and the tremendous efforts made by everyone involved.

He said the repeated praise received by the Organizing Committee from International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) officials, heads of delegations and Olympic champions was a source of pride and recognition, while also placing greater responsibility on the organizers.

Al Sulaiti concluded by expressing his hope that the remaining competitions would maintain their high levels of excitement and competitiveness, producing further world records. He also wished all participating shooters success in the remainder of the championships.

For his part, Mohammed Abdulmohsen, Chairman of the Pistol and Rifle Committee at the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, said the men's and women's pistol and rifle competitions had showcased outstanding performances from shooters representing both Asia and Europe, as they competed for podium places and Olympic qualification quota places for the 2028 Games.

He said the 25m Standard Pistol competition held today had been highly competitive and exciting, despite not offering Olympic qualification places.

The men's competition, he explained, was dominated by European shooters, particularly those from France, Ukraine and Finland, while China, Hungary and Indonesia featured prominently in the women's individual event.

Abdulmohsen also praised China's impressive performances at this edition of the championships, noting that the Chinese shooters had excelled across several events and secured a considerable number of Olympic qualification quota places.

He added that Doha would subsequently host the Asian Shooting Championships, which will also serve as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

"We are confident that Doha will continue to deliver exceptional standards that impress the international shooting community," he said.

Meanwhile, Hugo Singer, President of the French Shooting Federation, expressed his satisfaction with his team's progress, revealing that French shooters had so far secured two Olympic qualification quota places for Los Angeles 2028. He also praised Qatar's outstanding organisation of the championships.

"We have secured two Olympic qualification quota places so far, making us the second national team to achieve this number at this stage. This is a positive result for us, and we look forward to maintaining our competitive form and securing more places in the coming days, given the strong ambitions of our shooters," Singer said.

He also highlighted the considerable organizational capabilities and advanced facilities of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, describing them as being of the highest international standards.

"This is the fourth time the French team has competed in championships hosted by Qatar. Every time we visit Qatar's shooting ranges, we discover something new, whether in terms of facilities and resources, organization or hospitality. This reflects the tremendous efforts made by the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association to ensure the success of this world-class event," he added.