Peng Xinlu (ISSF World Cup Ningbo)
At 16 years old, China's Peng Xinlu made her international debut at the Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent in Kazakhstan, winning silver medals in the women's and mixed team 10m air rifle events.
In just her second senior event, she broke the world record in the women's 10m air rifle, setting a new mark of 255.3, leading the field from the end of the first competition stage. Over 14 shots in the elimination stage, Peng would score below 10.5 just twice - a 10.4 and 10.3. She would strike a perfect 10.9 three times across the final and scored six 10.8s in the elimination stage.
She finished 2.7 ahead of Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad who had a total of 252.6.
And she bettered the standard set earlier in the season by her compatriot Wang Zifei, the three-time World Cup winner, who scored a total of 254.8 in Lima. A season of Chinese excellence in the women's 10m air rifle was capped off by Peng's dominant victory.
At 16 years old, China's Peng Xinlu made her international debut at the Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent in Kazakhstan, winning silver medals in the women's and mixed team 10m air rifle events.
In just her second senior event, she broke the world record in the women's 10m air rifle, setting a new mark of 255.3, leading the field from the end of the first competition stage. Over 14 shots in the elimination stage, Peng would score below 10.5 just twice - a 10.4 and 10.3. She would strike a perfect 10.9 three times across the final and scored six 10.8s in the elimination stage.
She finished 2.7 ahead of Norway's Jeanette Hegg Duestad who had a total of 252.6.
And she bettered the standard set earlier in the season by her compatriot Wang Zifei, the three-time World Cup winner, who scored a total of 254.8 in Lima. A season of Chinese excellence in the women's 10m air rifle was capped off by Peng's dominant victory.
Danilo Sollazzo (ISSF World Cup Ningbo)
Ningbo was a stellar event for rifle athletes, with the men's 10m air rifle world record also falling due to the performance of Italian Danilo Sollazzo.
For the Olympic champion Sheng Lihao, it was a chance to win another World Cup gold medal and this time in front of his home crowd. A score of 253.5 would have been enough to win any other World Cup this season, but he was beaten by excellence on the day and to add insult to injury, his world record of 254.5 was beaten in the process.
The 23-year-old Sollazzo had success prior to Ningbo - with fifth at Paris 2024, second at the 2022 ISSF World Championship and two World Cup golds to his name already - but had not shown his previous form in 2025 before China. His 10 shots in the first competition stage resulted in a score of 106.1, making 10.5 every time, including four 10.7s.
He would only drop below that 10.5 mark twice in the elimination stage, but scored five 10.8s and a 10.9 to stretch ahead, finishing on 255.0 for the gold medal. Everything aligned on the day in a start-to-finish victory.
Ningbo was a stellar event for rifle athletes, with the men's 10m air rifle world record also falling due to the performance of Italian Danilo Sollazzo.
For the Olympic champion Sheng Lihao, it was a chance to win another World Cup gold medal and this time in front of his home crowd. A score of 253.5 would have been enough to win any other World Cup this season, but he was beaten by excellence on the day and to add insult to injury, his world record of 254.5 was beaten in the process.
The 23-year-old Sollazzo had success prior to Ningbo - with fifth at Paris 2024, second at the 2022 ISSF World Championship and two World Cup golds to his name already - but had not shown his previous form in 2025 before China. His 10 shots in the first competition stage resulted in a score of 106.1, making 10.5 every time, including four 10.7s.
He would only drop below that 10.5 mark twice in the elimination stage, but scored five 10.8s and a 10.9 to stretch ahead, finishing on 255.0 for the gold medal. Everything aligned on the day in a start-to-finish victory.
Hu Kai (ISSF World Cup Final Doha)
Picking what is the best of Hu Kai's wins is like choosing your favourite child. Across his seven events this season, he claimed six golds and one silver medal.
A few spring to mind - you could mention his near-world record in his ISSF World Cup victory in Lima, where he came within 0.1 of DPR of Korea's Kim Song-Guk's mark from 2019 in the men's 10m air pistol. You could also look to his last-shot win, overtaking Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan to keep his winning streak going in Munich.
But maybe his best shows his greatest test of character. Off the back of his first loss of the season where Samrat Rana of India took the world title ahead of him, he looked to bounce back and stay undefeated through ISSF World Cup events in 2025. After a strong first competition stage, a lull through most of the second competition stage brought him behind Germany's Christian Reitz, before Rana jumped into second with six shots to go with a double of 10.5 and 10.6.
The gap of 1.6 grew to Rana, but the German and Indian athletes both scored an 8.4 in the penultimate series. While these slip-ups could be considered why Hu would go onto win, it was a 10.8 with pressure up against him that took Hu from far behind to in the lead - his best combination of the final. Following up with a 10.5 and 10.1, Hu saved his best until last, for his sixth win of 2025.
Picking what is the best of Hu Kai's wins is like choosing your favourite child. Across his seven events this season, he claimed six golds and one silver medal.
A few spring to mind - you could mention his near-world record in his ISSF World Cup victory in Lima, where he came within 0.1 of DPR of Korea's Kim Song-Guk's mark from 2019 in the men's 10m air pistol. You could also look to his last-shot win, overtaking Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan to keep his winning streak going in Munich.
But maybe his best shows his greatest test of character. Off the back of his first loss of the season where Samrat Rana of India took the world title ahead of him, he looked to bounce back and stay undefeated through ISSF World Cup events in 2025. After a strong first competition stage, a lull through most of the second competition stage brought him behind Germany's Christian Reitz, before Rana jumped into second with six shots to go with a double of 10.5 and 10.6.
The gap of 1.6 grew to Rana, but the German and Indian athletes both scored an 8.4 in the penultimate series. While these slip-ups could be considered why Hu would go onto win, it was a 10.8 with pressure up against him that took Hu from far behind to in the lead - his best combination of the final. Following up with a 10.5 and 10.1, Hu saved his best until last, for his sixth win of 2025.
Vincent Hancock (ISSF World Championship Shotgun, Athens)
Off the back of one international appearance in 2025 - his win in Lonato in the ISSF World Cup - Vincent Hancock put together a superb total of 59 from 60 to win his fifth men's skeet ISSF World Championship, scoring all of his first 43 targets before a solitary miss. He held off the strong challenge of Daniel Korcak of Czechia who was within one until target 34.
A special mention has to go to his teammate Christian Elliott who scored a perfect 36 under the new format, in a high-pressure event. A miss each for Hancock and fellow American Dustan Taylor would separate them. Equally, China's Jiang Yiting scored a perfect 36 in the women's skeet, dealing with the suspense well.
Off the back of one international appearance in 2025 - his win in Lonato in the ISSF World Cup - Vincent Hancock put together a superb total of 59 from 60 to win his fifth men's skeet ISSF World Championship, scoring all of his first 43 targets before a solitary miss. He held off the strong challenge of Daniel Korcak of Czechia who was within one until target 34.
A special mention has to go to his teammate Christian Elliott who scored a perfect 36 under the new format, in a high-pressure event. A miss each for Hancock and fellow American Dustan Taylor would separate them. Equally, China's Jiang Yiting scored a perfect 36 in the women's skeet, dealing with the suspense well.
Samrat Rana (ISSF World Championship, Cairo)
The only man to defeat Hu Kai this season, Samrat Rana was composed under pressure to pull off an upset no one expected.
The 20-year-old had a narrow lead in the men's 10m air pistol final at the ISSF World Championship and would be closely matched by Hu, before the Chinese took the lead with six shots to go. Two consecutive series featuring 10.9s would keep him in the hunt. He would go ahead of Hu but then behind again by 0.1 into the last two shots.
A 10.2 and 10.6 would give him the lead and ultimately, the victory. A superb run of form.
The only man to defeat Hu Kai this season, Samrat Rana was composed under pressure to pull off an upset no one expected.
The 20-year-old had a narrow lead in the men's 10m air pistol final at the ISSF World Championship and would be closely matched by Hu, before the Chinese took the lead with six shots to go. Two consecutive series featuring 10.9s would keep him in the hunt. He would go ahead of Hu but then behind again by 0.1 into the last two shots.
A 10.2 and 10.6 would give him the lead and ultimately, the victory. A superb run of form.