Nearly 700 athletes will have eyes set on glory at one of the most prestigious events on the calendar, the ISSF World Cup in Munich.
Set for 10th to 14th of June, Munich is a regular feature on the ISSF World Cup schedule, featuring in all but three seasons - when including World Cup Finals - in the 21st century so far. It is also the penultimate World Cup event for rifle and pistol athletes before the ISSF World Cup Final at the end of the season, meaning a massive opportunity for those chasing a trip to Doha, Qatar.
There are 78 National Federations entered, with the hosts Germany bringing the second-largest delegation with 27 athletes. Doreen Vennekamp will be hoping to add more silverware to her illustrious cabinet. She has two individual World Cup golds in the women's 25m pistol event and will look to go one better than last year here, where she claimed silver behind the returning Camille Jedrzejewski, the Olympic silver medallist from France. Korean Olympic gold medallist Yang Ji-in is also set to compete. For Germany, other hopes will fall on the likes of Christian Reitz, their most-decorated World Cup athlete, as well as Anna Janssen across women's rifle events, who has four individual World Cups to her name.
India will again bring the largest squad, with 36 athletes headlined by a variety of stars. Olympic pistol bronze medallist Manu Bhaker will be one of them, joined by men's rifle stars Arjun Babuta and Swapnil Kusale as well as fellow pistol prospects Varun Tomar, Inder Singh Suruchi and Sarabjot Singh. An impressive 26 athletes have been entered from Czechia, followed by 23 from Italy, 22 from China, 21 from Ukraine and 19 from the Republic of Korea.
Set for 10th to 14th of June, Munich is a regular feature on the ISSF World Cup schedule, featuring in all but three seasons - when including World Cup Finals - in the 21st century so far. It is also the penultimate World Cup event for rifle and pistol athletes before the ISSF World Cup Final at the end of the season, meaning a massive opportunity for those chasing a trip to Doha, Qatar.
There are 78 National Federations entered, with the hosts Germany bringing the second-largest delegation with 27 athletes. Doreen Vennekamp will be hoping to add more silverware to her illustrious cabinet. She has two individual World Cup golds in the women's 25m pistol event and will look to go one better than last year here, where she claimed silver behind the returning Camille Jedrzejewski, the Olympic silver medallist from France. Korean Olympic gold medallist Yang Ji-in is also set to compete. For Germany, other hopes will fall on the likes of Christian Reitz, their most-decorated World Cup athlete, as well as Anna Janssen across women's rifle events, who has four individual World Cups to her name.
India will again bring the largest squad, with 36 athletes headlined by a variety of stars. Olympic pistol bronze medallist Manu Bhaker will be one of them, joined by men's rifle stars Arjun Babuta and Swapnil Kusale as well as fellow pistol prospects Varun Tomar, Inder Singh Suruchi and Sarabjot Singh. An impressive 26 athletes have been entered from Czechia, followed by 23 from Italy, 22 from China, 21 from Ukraine and 19 from the Republic of Korea.
Jiri Privratsky, centre, and Istvan Peni, right, will expect another close battle in rifle eventsCzechia's ace will be Jiri Privratsky, who won an impressive five medals, including two titles during the 2024 season in rifle events. He has had a good start to the 2025 season, winning in Lima too. That day he defeated Hungarian Istvan Peni, who can be regarded as one of the most consistent performers on the circuit. He won the 50m rifle 3 positions in Buenos Aires, but also took silver in the 10m air rifle in Argentina before two bronzes in Lima. That means he has stood on the podium in all four men's individual rifle finals so far and will be looking to continue that run.
Sweden's Olympic silver medallist Victor Lindgren is also on the start list for both individual rifle events, while the man who defeated him in Chateauroux in the 10m rifle final, Sheng Lihao from China, will be looking for his second win of the season after his triumph in Lima. Two-time Olympic silver medallist Serhii Kulish is Ukraine's biggest name, expecting a good result in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
Sheng is one of many stars on the Chinese team, which also features female rifle athletes Wang Zifei and Han Jiayu, as well as men's Olympic pistol champion Xie Yu and the in-form Sun Yujie and Hu Kai. Wang, Sun and Hu are amongst a young contingent who have been unstoppable on the World Cup circuit so far, winning both of the opening legs in the women's 10m air rifle, women's 25m pistol and men's 10m air pistol respectively.
China is not the only country with strong candidates for medals from Asia, with the Republic of Korea boasting two Olympic champions in Ban Hyo-jin and Oh Ye-jin joining Yang Ji-in on the squad meaning all three gold medallists from Paris 2024 will be there. Other Olympic medallists returning including pistol podium sitters Paolo Monna and Federico Nilo Maldini, while Olympic champions in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions, Nina Christen and Chiara Leone, will feature alongside prospect Emely Jaeggi for Switzerland.
American Sagen Maddalena and a strong Norway squad which features youngsters Synnoeve Berg and Caroline Finnestad Lund will hope for good results. Meanwhile, the Olympic mixed team pistol finalists - Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec from Serbia and Yusuf Dikec and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan from Turkey - could meet each other in a rematch too.
Sweden's Olympic silver medallist Victor Lindgren is also on the start list for both individual rifle events, while the man who defeated him in Chateauroux in the 10m rifle final, Sheng Lihao from China, will be looking for his second win of the season after his triumph in Lima. Two-time Olympic silver medallist Serhii Kulish is Ukraine's biggest name, expecting a good result in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
Sheng is one of many stars on the Chinese team, which also features female rifle athletes Wang Zifei and Han Jiayu, as well as men's Olympic pistol champion Xie Yu and the in-form Sun Yujie and Hu Kai. Wang, Sun and Hu are amongst a young contingent who have been unstoppable on the World Cup circuit so far, winning both of the opening legs in the women's 10m air rifle, women's 25m pistol and men's 10m air pistol respectively.
China is not the only country with strong candidates for medals from Asia, with the Republic of Korea boasting two Olympic champions in Ban Hyo-jin and Oh Ye-jin joining Yang Ji-in on the squad meaning all three gold medallists from Paris 2024 will be there. Other Olympic medallists returning including pistol podium sitters Paolo Monna and Federico Nilo Maldini, while Olympic champions in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions, Nina Christen and Chiara Leone, will feature alongside prospect Emely Jaeggi for Switzerland.
American Sagen Maddalena and a strong Norway squad which features youngsters Synnoeve Berg and Caroline Finnestad Lund will hope for good results. Meanwhile, the Olympic mixed team pistol finalists - Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec from Serbia and Yusuf Dikec and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan from Turkey - could meet each other in a rematch too.