Following the fourth and final stage of the standard ISSF World Cup season, the first seven athletes have been confirmed for the men's trap competition for the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, Qatar.
Qualification Rules
4 Winners of each 2025 ISSF World Cup event, or next best unqualified athlete if repeated winners.
1 2024 ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender.
2 Highest-ranked athletes not qualified from the 2025 ISSF World Cup rankings. This can become more if athletes qualify through two different routes.
To be confirmed
3 2025 ISSF World Championships medallists.
2 Wild cards from the host nation can be submitted.
Qualification Rules
4 Winners of each 2025 ISSF World Cup event, or next best unqualified athlete if repeated winners.
1 2024 ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender.
2 Highest-ranked athletes not qualified from the 2025 ISSF World Cup rankings. This can become more if athletes qualify through two different routes.
To be confirmed
3 2025 ISSF World Championships medallists.
2 Wild cards from the host nation can be submitted.
Jean Pierre Brol
Nation: Guatemala
World Cup Ranking: 4
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Buenos Aires)
The 42-year-old has had 12 months to remember. He became beloved in his native Guatemala - alongside women's trap gold medallist Adriana Ruano - as they won their nation's first two medals at an Olympic Games within days of each other.
At Paris 2024, Brol finished behind Great Britain's Nathan Hales and Qi Ying of China and finished ninth last year in New Delhi at his first ISSF World Cup Final. This time he will be seeking a podium finish.
He qualified for the finals via his victory in Buenos Aires in the season opener - his first ISSF World Cup gold medal. While he could only muster 25th a week later in Lima, Brol finished a respectable 16th in Lonato.
William Hinton
Nation: United States
World Cup Ranking: 2
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Lima)
The American has found himself on the cusp on many occasions during his career, but 2025 so far, has been his year.
Misfortune can always be linked to the athlete finishing fourth - and that's where Hinton would finish at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku. And while he would taste World Cup success in teams, his best result individually before the start of the year was eighth in Lima in 2022.
But it turns out, Lima is a place of fortune for Hinton. He claimed his first podium in Buenos Aires when he finished third and would then travel to Peru on the second part of the double-header. He not only improved his standing, he won a gold medal for the first time. Lonato saw him finish 30th, but the South America leg shows the form he is capable of.
Nation: United States
World Cup Ranking: 2
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Lima)
The American has found himself on the cusp on many occasions during his career, but 2025 so far, has been his year.
Misfortune can always be linked to the athlete finishing fourth - and that's where Hinton would finish at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku. And while he would taste World Cup success in teams, his best result individually before the start of the year was eighth in Lima in 2022.
But it turns out, Lima is a place of fortune for Hinton. He claimed his first podium in Buenos Aires when he finished third and would then travel to Peru on the second part of the double-header. He not only improved his standing, he won a gold medal for the first time. Lonato saw him finish 30th, but the South America leg shows the form he is capable of.
Manuel Murcia
Nation: Spain
World Cup Ranking: 9
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Nicosia)
The beautiful thing about shooting sport is the long journeys to glory and the feelgood underdog stories that come from every competition. Manuel Murcia, who is a bricklayer by trade, realised his dream of finally winning a gold medal in a major ISSF competition at the age of 45.
Murcia's greatest achievement to date had been his bronze medal at the 1998 ISSF Junior World Championships in his home country, when competition was held in Barcelona.
Perseverance is what makes Murcia's victory in Nicosia so special. It took him 24 years to win another piece of silverware and this was silver in Lima in 2022 as part of the team prize.
However, his solo podium success drought would end after 27 years - edging out Belgian Yannick Peters for the top spot. His previous best result was 12th in 2021. Time will tell if this momentum can continue into Doha.
Nation: Spain
World Cup Ranking: 9
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Nicosia)
The beautiful thing about shooting sport is the long journeys to glory and the feelgood underdog stories that come from every competition. Manuel Murcia, who is a bricklayer by trade, realised his dream of finally winning a gold medal in a major ISSF competition at the age of 45.
Murcia's greatest achievement to date had been his bronze medal at the 1998 ISSF Junior World Championships in his home country, when competition was held in Barcelona.
Perseverance is what makes Murcia's victory in Nicosia so special. It took him 24 years to win another piece of silverware and this was silver in Lima in 2022 as part of the team prize.
However, his solo podium success drought would end after 27 years - edging out Belgian Yannick Peters for the top spot. His previous best result was 12th in 2021. Time will tell if this momentum can continue into Doha.
Giovanni Pellielo
Nation: Italy
World Cup Ranking: 6
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Lonato)
While other winners in the World Cup have terrific stories attributed to them, it is hard to find a more heartwarming story than the 55-year-old great Giovanni Pellielo winning gold on home soil.
The evergreen athlete - who first competed at an Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 - was one of the fiercest shotgun athletes of the 1990's, winning three consecutive world titles between 1995 and 1997 and another in 2013. He also faced Olympic heartache - finishing second on three occasions and claiming bronze once between 2000 and 2016. The gold still eludes him to this day.
And what had also eluded him for 16 years was a victory on the ISSF World Cup circuit. A near-perfect performance in Lonato was incredibly popular with the fans nationally and internationally. It became his 11th World Cup victory and his first since 2009 in Minsk.
This may have came across as a veteran getting it right on the day, but that would be unfair to Pellielo. His only other performance of the year saw him just miss the final in Lima, finishing 10th. Never, ever, count him out.
Nation: Italy
World Cup Ranking: 6
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Lonato)
While other winners in the World Cup have terrific stories attributed to them, it is hard to find a more heartwarming story than the 55-year-old great Giovanni Pellielo winning gold on home soil.
The evergreen athlete - who first competed at an Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 - was one of the fiercest shotgun athletes of the 1990's, winning three consecutive world titles between 1995 and 1997 and another in 2013. He also faced Olympic heartache - finishing second on three occasions and claiming bronze once between 2000 and 2016. The gold still eludes him to this day.
And what had also eluded him for 16 years was a victory on the ISSF World Cup circuit. A near-perfect performance in Lonato was incredibly popular with the fans nationally and internationally. It became his 11th World Cup victory and his first since 2009 in Minsk.
This may have came across as a veteran getting it right on the day, but that would be unfair to Pellielo. His only other performance of the year saw him just miss the final in Lima, finishing 10th. Never, ever, count him out.
Qi Ying
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 30
Qualification: ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender
China have been dominant in rifle events in recent years and creeping into a period of good form in pistol too. However, Qi Ying is one of the few athletes from his country to taste great success in shotgun.
The Olympic silver medallist, who finished runner-up to Nathan Hales in Chateauroux, took a break before coming back with a bang to take the ISSF World Cup Final title in New Delhi, qualifying him to return this year in Doha.
While individually, Qi has not been in red-hot form like he was in the second half of 2024, he has still showed signs of performance. He finished 13th in Lima and will be looking for results closer to that standard after struggles in Nicosia and Lonato. However, the signs are there. He took mixed team trap gold with Zhang Zixi in Nicosia. He has shown he can perform when it matters and he will be keen to defend his gold medal successfully.
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 30
Qualification: ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender
China have been dominant in rifle events in recent years and creeping into a period of good form in pistol too. However, Qi Ying is one of the few athletes from his country to taste great success in shotgun.
The Olympic silver medallist, who finished runner-up to Nathan Hales in Chateauroux, took a break before coming back with a bang to take the ISSF World Cup Final title in New Delhi, qualifying him to return this year in Doha.
While individually, Qi has not been in red-hot form like he was in the second half of 2024, he has still showed signs of performance. He finished 13th in Lima and will be looking for results closer to that standard after struggles in Nicosia and Lonato. However, the signs are there. He took mixed team trap gold with Zhang Zixi in Nicosia. He has shown he can perform when it matters and he will be keen to defend his gold medal successfully.
Mauro de Filippis
Nation: Italy
World Cup Ranking: 1
Qualification: World Cup Rankings
Statistically, Mauro de Filippis is the most in-form men's trap athlete this season. In Lonato, he secured a home bronze medal to sign off in style before the upcoming ISSF World Championships in Greece. His best result this season came in Lima, winning silver.
He nearly made the final in Buenos Aires where he finished ninth and placed 29th in Nicosia.
The 44-year-old has four ISSF World Cup gold medals under his belt and has history at the ISSF World Cup Final - winning the title in 2019. After a six-year absence, he will be looking for his second victory.
Nation: Italy
World Cup Ranking: 1
Qualification: World Cup Rankings
Statistically, Mauro de Filippis is the most in-form men's trap athlete this season. In Lonato, he secured a home bronze medal to sign off in style before the upcoming ISSF World Championships in Greece. His best result this season came in Lima, winning silver.
He nearly made the final in Buenos Aires where he finished ninth and placed 29th in Nicosia.
The 44-year-old has four ISSF World Cup gold medals under his belt and has history at the ISSF World Cup Final - winning the title in 2019. After a six-year absence, he will be looking for his second victory.
Walton Eller
Nation: United States
World Cup Ranking: 3
Qualification: World Cup Rankings
Walton Eller was one of the most successful double trap shooters of the 2000's, winning the Olympic title at Beijing 2008, the world title in 2003, two World Cup Finals and five World Cups. A 2013 world title and 2015 World Cup gold medal saw a welcome return to form. However, this incredible form was not replicated when he transitioned to the trap format.
Until now.
Eller opened the season with a silver medal in Buenos Aires, and ended the circuit in Lonato just outside the medals in fourth place. Accompanying this was fourth in the mixed team event and eighth individually in Lima, ninth in the mixed team event in Lonato and 12th in the mixed team in Buenos Aires. For context, his best trap finish before then was in 2021 in Lonato, when he finished 15th.
All qualifiers for the ISSF World Cup Final can be found here and all World Cup rankings here.
Nation: United States
World Cup Ranking: 3
Qualification: World Cup Rankings
Walton Eller was one of the most successful double trap shooters of the 2000's, winning the Olympic title at Beijing 2008, the world title in 2003, two World Cup Finals and five World Cups. A 2013 world title and 2015 World Cup gold medal saw a welcome return to form. However, this incredible form was not replicated when he transitioned to the trap format.
Until now.
Eller opened the season with a silver medal in Buenos Aires, and ended the circuit in Lonato just outside the medals in fourth place. Accompanying this was fourth in the mixed team event and eighth individually in Lima, ninth in the mixed team event in Lonato and 12th in the mixed team in Buenos Aires. For context, his best trap finish before then was in 2021 in Lonato, when he finished 15th.
All qualifiers for the ISSF World Cup Final can be found here and all World Cup rankings here.