Following the fourth and final stage of the standard ISSF World Cup season, the first seven athletes have been confirmed for the men's 10m air pistol 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.
Xie Yu
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 9
Qualification: ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender
Top of the world in 2024, Xie Yu left Paris as the Olympic champion in the men's 10m air pistol.
Form suggested him to be one of the favourites that day in Chateauroux, but he had to dig deep to overcome the Italian duo and early leaders, Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna. He continued to trail until the seventh of nine series, and the momentum stayed on his side to take him to the top of the podium.
It was the highlight of a successful year for him, having also won the World Cup leg in Baku, before winning the World Cup Final in his debut appearance in New Delhi.
2025 has not provided the sign magic so far, but not in a manner that would concern the 25-year-old. He has been consistently close to the podium, but has twice just missed out in fifth place in Lima and Munich. Another near-miss came in Buenos Aires, when he placed ninth, meaning he just missed qualification.
Sometimes things don't quite go your way in shooting, but there is no denying that consistent results are encouraging for him. To rule him out of a position on the podium, would be foolish.
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 9
Qualification: ISSF World Cup Final Title Defender
Top of the world in 2024, Xie Yu left Paris as the Olympic champion in the men's 10m air pistol.
Form suggested him to be one of the favourites that day in Chateauroux, but he had to dig deep to overcome the Italian duo and early leaders, Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna. He continued to trail until the seventh of nine series, and the momentum stayed on his side to take him to the top of the podium.
It was the highlight of a successful year for him, having also won the World Cup leg in Baku, before winning the World Cup Final in his debut appearance in New Delhi.
2025 has not provided the sign magic so far, but not in a manner that would concern the 25-year-old. He has been consistently close to the podium, but has twice just missed out in fifth place in Lima and Munich. Another near-miss came in Buenos Aires, when he placed ninth, meaning he just missed qualification.
Sometimes things don't quite go your way in shooting, but there is no denying that consistent results are encouraging for him. To rule him out of a position on the podium, would be foolish.
Hu Kai
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 1
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Buenos Aires, Lima, Munich, Ningbo)
Hu Kai is simply unstoppable.
A tad older than the other prodigies on the Chinese team, the 23-year-old was inconspicuous before the New Year, with an individual best on the World Cup circuit of 16th from 2023. To place a bet at the start of the season on Hu to win it all, would make someone incredibly rich.
His fairytale season started with a start-to-finish leading victory in Buenos Aires, before once again excelling on his way to victory in Lima, winning by a resounding 5.4 points. A star had been born.
Hu became one of three Chinese athletes to win all three of their ISSF World Cup legs when he survived a battle against Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan in Munich. A lull occurred at the midpoint of the elimination stage, which saw him drop to third. He remained there coming into the elimination to determine who would take the bronze medal. Fortune favoured him that day, as then-leader Christian Reitz scored 8.8 and 9.3 to sink down to third.
He still trailed the Kazakh by 0.4 points and had to deliver something special to win. A combination of 10.5 and 10.4 got him the victory that day, with all the pressure on him to keep the winning streak going. On one hand, Munich showed Hu can be beaten; on the other, it was a test of resilience - and he passed it.
He then made history - becoming the first athlete ever to win all four ISSF World Cup gold medals in a single season, meaning he remains undefeated heading towards the ISSF World Championship. In Ningbo, he completed the winning streak, again extending his lead throughout the elimination stage, showing he is cool under pressure.
Adding his mixed team exploits, he has one gold and two silvers from this World Cup season. On top of that, he has just won the Asian title in emphatic fashion too. Going into his debut ISSF World Cup Final, it is hard to look past him.
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 1
Qualification: ISSF World Cup gold (Buenos Aires, Lima, Munich, Ningbo)
Hu Kai is simply unstoppable.
A tad older than the other prodigies on the Chinese team, the 23-year-old was inconspicuous before the New Year, with an individual best on the World Cup circuit of 16th from 2023. To place a bet at the start of the season on Hu to win it all, would make someone incredibly rich.
His fairytale season started with a start-to-finish leading victory in Buenos Aires, before once again excelling on his way to victory in Lima, winning by a resounding 5.4 points. A star had been born.
Hu became one of three Chinese athletes to win all three of their ISSF World Cup legs when he survived a battle against Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan in Munich. A lull occurred at the midpoint of the elimination stage, which saw him drop to third. He remained there coming into the elimination to determine who would take the bronze medal. Fortune favoured him that day, as then-leader Christian Reitz scored 8.8 and 9.3 to sink down to third.
He still trailed the Kazakh by 0.4 points and had to deliver something special to win. A combination of 10.5 and 10.4 got him the victory that day, with all the pressure on him to keep the winning streak going. On one hand, Munich showed Hu can be beaten; on the other, it was a test of resilience - and he passed it.
He then made history - becoming the first athlete ever to win all four ISSF World Cup gold medals in a single season, meaning he remains undefeated heading towards the ISSF World Championship. In Ningbo, he completed the winning streak, again extending his lead throughout the elimination stage, showing he is cool under pressure.
Adding his mixed team exploits, he has one gold and two silvers from this World Cup season. On top of that, he has just won the Asian title in emphatic fashion too. Going into his debut ISSF World Cup Final, it is hard to look past him.
Felipe Wu
Nation: Brazil
World Cup Ranking: 5
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Lima)
In lieu of a Peruvian finalist, Felipe Almeida Wu carried the hopes of a South American winning the gold in Lima.
The Brazilian first tried the sport at the age of eight, following in the footsteps of his parents, and shot competitively for the first time at the age of 11. Little did he know he would become the pride of his country when he became the 2015 Pan American Games champion and then, the silver medallist on home soil at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Yet after his heroics in Brazil, Wu faced setbacks. He failed to qualify for the next two Olympics, and finished 41st at the 2018 and 2023 World Championships in the men's 10m air pistol - his last two appearances.
Flashes of brilliance would show - his 25m pistol victory at the Continental American Championships in 2022 and 2023 Pan American Games bronze in the men's 10m air pistol - but he never looked consistently to have regained his form. After his 2016 season, he made just two finals on the World Cup circuit with a best finish of fourth.
However, he has looked like a changed man this season. A solid finish of 16th in Buenos Aires may not have turned many heads, but his third final in nine years in Lima certainly would. That day, Hu Kai's dominance would steal the headlines, but what was maybe overlooked was Wu's strength throughout the final. It was like rolling back the clock, never looking in jeopardy of elimination until only the top two remained. He would finish seventh in Munich too, showing his performance in Lima was not an outlier.
Having his best season in nine years has clearly energised the Brazilian, who now looks forward to the World Championship and an improvement on his ISSF World Cup Final debut result of 10th, all those years ago.
Nation: Brazil
World Cup Ranking: 5
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Lima)
In lieu of a Peruvian finalist, Felipe Almeida Wu carried the hopes of a South American winning the gold in Lima.
The Brazilian first tried the sport at the age of eight, following in the footsteps of his parents, and shot competitively for the first time at the age of 11. Little did he know he would become the pride of his country when he became the 2015 Pan American Games champion and then, the silver medallist on home soil at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Yet after his heroics in Brazil, Wu faced setbacks. He failed to qualify for the next two Olympics, and finished 41st at the 2018 and 2023 World Championships in the men's 10m air pistol - his last two appearances.
Flashes of brilliance would show - his 25m pistol victory at the Continental American Championships in 2022 and 2023 Pan American Games bronze in the men's 10m air pistol - but he never looked consistently to have regained his form. After his 2016 season, he made just two finals on the World Cup circuit with a best finish of fourth.
However, he has looked like a changed man this season. A solid finish of 16th in Buenos Aires may not have turned many heads, but his third final in nine years in Lima certainly would. That day, Hu Kai's dominance would steal the headlines, but what was maybe overlooked was Wu's strength throughout the final. It was like rolling back the clock, never looking in jeopardy of elimination until only the top two remained. He would finish seventh in Munich too, showing his performance in Lima was not an outlier.
Having his best season in nine years has clearly energised the Brazilian, who now looks forward to the World Championship and an improvement on his ISSF World Cup Final debut result of 10th, all those years ago.
Valeriy Rakhimzhan
Nation: Kazakhstan
World Cup Ranking: 6
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Munich)
As previously mentioned, Valeriy Rakhimzhan was close to ending the winning streak of Hu Kai, only to be undone by two great shots when it mattered.
The 26-year-old came to Germany with three ISSF World Cup medals, and none of them were solo feats. The Kazakh has never stood on the podium at World or Asian Championships, yet found himself in an unfamiliar place - capable of beating one of the best in the world.
This is not a story completely like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed - Rakhimzhan deserves his recognition over the past few years. He made finals in the 10m air pistol twice in 2023, which helped him secure a spot at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, where he finished seventh. He is an athlete who is a solid hand on his day.
That said, 2025 has been a statement year - one that he quietly chipped away from the start of the season. He qualified for the final in Buenos Aires, finishing eighth, and placed 14th in Lima later that month. While not grabbing too much attention, he was clearly looking capable of another qualification. A great end to qualification in Munich got him into the top eight.
From there, he slowly improved in the final after a tricky start. Down in fifth, he excelled in the elimination stage to pull away with Hu and Christian Reitz before being in the unprecedented position as leader in two series. While Hu retook the lead on the final shot, Rakhimzhan, much like Rocky in the first film, was triumphant in defeat and claimed his first ISSF World Cup podium individually. As the only athlete who has came close to beating Hu, will he form a character arc that sees him take a gold medal in true Hollywood style?
Nation: Kazakhstan
World Cup Ranking: 6
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Munich)
As previously mentioned, Valeriy Rakhimzhan was close to ending the winning streak of Hu Kai, only to be undone by two great shots when it mattered.
The 26-year-old came to Germany with three ISSF World Cup medals, and none of them were solo feats. The Kazakh has never stood on the podium at World or Asian Championships, yet found himself in an unfamiliar place - capable of beating one of the best in the world.
This is not a story completely like Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed - Rakhimzhan deserves his recognition over the past few years. He made finals in the 10m air pistol twice in 2023, which helped him secure a spot at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, where he finished seventh. He is an athlete who is a solid hand on his day.
That said, 2025 has been a statement year - one that he quietly chipped away from the start of the season. He qualified for the final in Buenos Aires, finishing eighth, and placed 14th in Lima later that month. While not grabbing too much attention, he was clearly looking capable of another qualification. A great end to qualification in Munich got him into the top eight.
From there, he slowly improved in the final after a tricky start. Down in fifth, he excelled in the elimination stage to pull away with Hu and Christian Reitz before being in the unprecedented position as leader in two series. While Hu retook the lead on the final shot, Rakhimzhan, much like Rocky in the first film, was triumphant in defeat and claimed his first ISSF World Cup podium individually. As the only athlete who has came close to beating Hu, will he form a character arc that sees him take a gold medal in true Hollywood style?
You Changjie
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 11
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Ningbo)
There are few greater stories than that of a late bloomer.
At 32, You Changjie made his international debut for the Chinese national team at the Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. A 12th-placed finish was understated enough to not warrant any particular attention, but just a couple of weeks later, he had a competition to remember at the ISSF World Cup in Ningbo.
On his World Cup debut, You qualified fourth for the men's 10m air pistol final, and soon found himself fighting for the medals. Early in the competition he was close to the scores of the undefeated Hu Kai. He was locked in a great fight for the top two with Jason Solari and Federico Nilo Maldini, and crucially finished ahead of both of them.
I say crucially, because the Chinese athlete would as a result, qualify for the World Cup Final, by virtue of finishing behind the already-qualified Hu. From his international debut in August to making the season finale by mid-September. It was an incredible month for him, and shows it's never too late to make it.
Nation: China
World Cup Ranking: 11
Qualification: ISSF World Cup silver (Ningbo)
There are few greater stories than that of a late bloomer.
At 32, You Changjie made his international debut for the Chinese national team at the Asian Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. A 12th-placed finish was understated enough to not warrant any particular attention, but just a couple of weeks later, he had a competition to remember at the ISSF World Cup in Ningbo.
On his World Cup debut, You qualified fourth for the men's 10m air pistol final, and soon found himself fighting for the medals. Early in the competition he was close to the scores of the undefeated Hu Kai. He was locked in a great fight for the top two with Jason Solari and Federico Nilo Maldini, and crucially finished ahead of both of them.
I say crucially, because the Chinese athlete would as a result, qualify for the World Cup Final, by virtue of finishing behind the already-qualified Hu. From his international debut in August to making the season finale by mid-September. It was an incredible month for him, and shows it's never too late to make it.
Jason Solari
Nation: Switzerland
World Cup Ranking: 2
Qualification: ISSF World Cup rankings
A second bronze medal of the 2025 season secured Jason Solari's place at the ISSF World Cup Final, with the Swiss shooter set to make his debut in the season finale in Doha. With finishes of fourth and fifth in the 2023 and 2024 World Cup seasons, he had been knocking on the door for a while.
2025 has been a great success for Solari, who started the year with bronze in the European Championship 10m in Osijek, as well as third in Buenos Aires in the World Cup opening leg. He made the final later that month in Lima, finishing sixth. The outlier was 25th in Munich, but this was followed by his second podium when he travelled to Ningbo where he edged out Federico Nilo Maldini for the bronze medal.
Nation: Switzerland
World Cup Ranking: 2
Qualification: ISSF World Cup rankings
A second bronze medal of the 2025 season secured Jason Solari's place at the ISSF World Cup Final, with the Swiss shooter set to make his debut in the season finale in Doha. With finishes of fourth and fifth in the 2023 and 2024 World Cup seasons, he had been knocking on the door for a while.
2025 has been a great success for Solari, who started the year with bronze in the European Championship 10m in Osijek, as well as third in Buenos Aires in the World Cup opening leg. He made the final later that month in Lima, finishing sixth. The outlier was 25th in Munich, but this was followed by his second podium when he travelled to Ningbo where he edged out Federico Nilo Maldini for the bronze medal.
Anton Aristarkhov
Nation: Individual Neutral Athlete
World Cup Ranking: 3
Qualification: ISSF World Cup rankings
AIN athlete Anton Aristarkhov, four years ago, qualified for the final of the ISSF World Cup leg in Osijek, finishing seventh. He would have to wait until this season to have another opportunity for a medal.
When he made the trip to Buenos Aires, he finally broke that duck, coming away with the silver medal, behind the unstoppable Hu Kai. Due to this being Hu's first win of the season, Aristarkhov was the only silver medallist not to qualify through his result in the final.
He kept his form together when he returned in Munich, placing fourth. His lowest finish of the season came in Ningbo, where he placed ninth. It would be the only time he failed to make the final on the circuit. He would also finish ninth at the European Championship in this event.
This level of consistent performing brought him to third in the rankings and crucially, secured his spot ahead of Germany's Christian Reitz at the ISSF World Cup Final.
All qualifiers for the ISSF World Cup Final can be found here and all World Cup rankings here.
Highest-ranked non-qualifiers still in contention: Christian Reitz (Germany), Varun Tomar (India), Federico Nilo Maldini (Italy).
Nation: Individual Neutral Athlete
World Cup Ranking: 3
Qualification: ISSF World Cup rankings
AIN athlete Anton Aristarkhov, four years ago, qualified for the final of the ISSF World Cup leg in Osijek, finishing seventh. He would have to wait until this season to have another opportunity for a medal.
When he made the trip to Buenos Aires, he finally broke that duck, coming away with the silver medal, behind the unstoppable Hu Kai. Due to this being Hu's first win of the season, Aristarkhov was the only silver medallist not to qualify through his result in the final.
He kept his form together when he returned in Munich, placing fourth. His lowest finish of the season came in Ningbo, where he placed ninth. It would be the only time he failed to make the final on the circuit. He would also finish ninth at the European Championship in this event.
This level of consistent performing brought him to third in the rankings and crucially, secured his spot ahead of Germany's Christian Reitz at the ISSF World Cup Final.
All qualifiers for the ISSF World Cup Final can be found here and all World Cup rankings here.
Highest-ranked non-qualifiers still in contention: Christian Reitz (Germany), Varun Tomar (India), Federico Nilo Maldini (Italy).